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User GuideHoshino Area SDGs tour “Megumi Tours Stars” heldEvent period 2024/06/07-06/29 Every Friday and Saturday
Due to popular demand, it has been decided to hold the event again in the fall!
For details on the Autumn SDGs Tour "Blessings of the Stars" here.
Experience a resort that coexists with nature for 110 years
Hoshino Resorts staff will guide you through the area's history and sustainable initiatives as you stroll through the area during the beautiful fresh green season. This tour will give you access to HOSHINOYA Karuizawa and its hydroelectric power plant, which have not been open to the public until now.
In the Hoshino area, in 1917, when the company was first established, it began generating electricity for its own use using wooden water turbines. In 1929, a full-scale turbine was introduced and a small private hydroelectric power plant was born. Although the generator has been replaced, it continues to operate. An expert will explain hydroelectric power plants in an easy-to-understand manner. The driving force for hydroelectric power generation is the river that flows through the center of Hoshinoya Karuizawa. As we walk around the area, we will introduce you to stories about the opening and the landscape. As you walk around the grounds, you can feel the nature as you see wild flowers blooming here and there and wild birds flying around.
Take sustainable sake as a souvenir
In the Hoshino area, we have been working on environmental management since before the term SDGs was coined. In order to reduce the amount of waste generated from operations to incineration and landfill, we separate the waste generated from the facility into 28 types. In particular, food waste is composted in partnership with a nearby farm. We will give you a souvenir of sake made from rice grown in the compost created through these activities. There is also an original drawstring bag with the 110th anniversary logo.
“Megumi Tours Stars” Tour Overview
- period
- 2024/6/7~6/29 Every Friday and Saturday
- Time
- 14:00 *Required time is around 60 minutes
- Prices
- Adults 1,500 yen, junior high and high school students 1,000 yen
- Capacity
- 10 people
- Place
- Picchio (gathering)
- Message
- Tour participation fee, souvenirs (sake and original purse) *Minors will only receive a purse.
- Reservation
- Make a reservation online at least 1 hour before the tour starts below.
- Contact Us
- If you have any questions, changes or cancellations to your reservation, please contact us using the contact form below or call us at 050-3537-3553 (Harunire Terrace).
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A sustainable system that supports decarbonization of local agriculture and accommodation facilities
HOSHINOYA Karuizawa's small-scale hydroelectric power generation system uses water taken from the Yukawa River, a first-class river whose source is Shiraito Falls, and water from the Sengataki Yukawa River, which is also used for agricultural purposes. Although there are examples of private companies generating their own hydroelectric power, what makes this site unique is that Hoshino Resorts staff are also responsible for managing the water intake facility, ultimately contributing to the local community.
This agricultural water has a history dating back to the 1650s, and it waters approximately 500 hectares of paddy fields in the downstream area, including Karuizawa Town. Management of water intake facilities is very important, such as stopping water intake due to weather conditions and removing dirt and fallen trees that obstruct the flow of waterways.
It is expected that maintenance and management of these systems will become increasingly difficult in the future as agricultural workers age, and we believe that this case will serve as an excellent model case for solving this problem.
Looking at the people involved, who are still using the canals that were built in the Edo period more than 370 years ago and are looking for new ways to use them for the future, we see that they continue to show an attitude of living in harmony with nature. I feel that I am breathing.
Yoshiyuki Uchikawa, Associate Professor, Faculty of Agriculture, Shinshu University
Belongs to the Faculty of Agriculture, Shinshu University. His fields of expertise are agricultural civil engineering and rural planning. He is engaged in research and research on new land uses in rural and mountain villages, as well as maintenance and conservation techniques for rice terraces. Current position since April 2020.
Photo) Right: Associate Professor Uchikawa, Faculty of Agriculture, Shinshu University Left: Abe, Hoshino Resorts Facility Management
