Thirty minutes from Kanazawa on the express train, Hoshino Resorts KAI Kaga has brought a fresh atmosphere to a traditional hot spring ryokan, inheriting the history of long-established Japanese inn “Shiroganeya,” visited by intellectuals since its establishment in 1624. Immerse yourself in Kaga culture with rooms furnished with traditional crafts such as Kaga yuzen and mizuhiki, cuisine expressing the philosophy of epicure Kitaoji Rosanjin, and the noble Kaga lion dance.
KAI Kaga’s architecture features “bengara-goshi,” or rouge latticing, an important component of the exterior of town houses in Kyoto and Kanazawa. It combines thin wood both vertically and horizontally in a technique that makes it easy to see from the inside, but difficult from the outside, furthering its use as a security precaution. It is called “bengara-goshi” for its use of “bengara” (a red pigment mainly containing iron oxide), a rouge dye which also works as a preservative.