Northern Honshū (Tōhoku)
The jewel of Nyūtō, Tsuru-no-yu is the epitome of the Japanese ryokan: discreet, atmospheric and sumptuous. At every turn there's another picture-perfect…
Must-see hotels in Japan
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Downtown Kyoto
Operating for more than three centuries, Tawaraya is one of the finest places to stay in Japan. From the decor to the service to the food, everything is…
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Tokyo
In creating this contemporary ryokan in the heart of Tokyo, Hoshinoya has barely put a foot wrong, overcoming a location boxed in by office towers…
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Izu Peninsula
Hugely popular with travellers, this 100-year-old riverside ryokan is an architectural treasure and an absolute steal. Japanese-style private rooms simply…
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Kansai
Running for seven generations, this is a fantastic ryokan for a splurge. It excels at everything: beautiful rooms arranged around a central garden; onsen…
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Downtown Kyoto
This elegant ryokan has long been favoured by celebrities from around the world. Facilities and services are excellent and the location is hard to beat…
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Kyūshū
In a word: gorgeous. Also: rambling and minimalist, with 100-year-old woodwork, a pine garden and Karatsu-yaki pottery for your in-room seafood meals. Koi…
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Tokyo
Overlooking the Imperial Palace from atop Ōtemachi Tower, this outstanding hotel incorporates natural materials – including dark stone walls, blonde wood…
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Matsumoto & the Northern Japan Alps
Russ the Kiwi has everything covered in Donguri, high above Hakuba. The dorm rooms are tight, but communal lounge, kitchen and party rooms make this a top…
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Naoshima
A stay at this unique Ando-designed hotel-museum is a treat for art and architecture enthusiasts. Accommodation is in four different wings – Museum, Oval,…
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Shikoku
Fluent English-speaking owner Mitsu has redesigned a concrete 1960s edifice, originally built by his father, into an intriguing contemporary retreat. Each…
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Matsumoto & the Northern Japan Alps
This rambling resort with indoor and outdoor onsen at the end of a twisting valley road to nowhere will delight anyone seeking a peaceful retreat. The…
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Osaka
Osaka's most stylish hostel is inside a 1960s office building suitably kitted out with vintage furniture. There are Japanese- and Western-style private…
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Sapporo
A little slice of mountain life a stone's throw from Susukino – you can use the climbing wall to get to the 2nd-floor dorms instead of the stairs –…
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Asakusa & Sumida River
About 2km north of Asakusa, the contemporary Andon Ryokan is fabulously designed in form and function. It has 20 tiny but immaculate tatami rooms,…
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Hakone
The centrepiece of this impeccably designed hostel is the irori (sunken hearth) in the bar-lounge, around which communal feasts of grilled fish, rice and…
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Southern Higashiyama
Extravagant and contemporary yet restrained and traditional, Four Seasons is an impressive new luxury hotel in the Higashiyama sightseeing district. The…
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Shikoku
Chiiori is a once-abandoned, 18th-century, thatched-roof farmhouse that has been painstakingly restored towards its original brilliance. Glistening red…
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Fuji Five Lakes
Just about the only remaining Fuji oshi-no-ie (pilgrims' inn) you can still stay in. The young owner is both a carpenter (hence the lovingly restored 440…
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Fukuoka
It's anyone's guess what the name means, but 'style' is indeed the byword at this sleek designer hotel. You could easily imagine yourself poolside in…
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Central Honshū
They hardly come more traditional than this inn split over three buildings, the oldest of which is the riverside 1936 No 1 Annexe. Guests have 24-hour use…
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Southern Higashiyama
Arguably one of Kyoto's best hotels, the Hyatt Regency sits at the southern end of the Southern Higashiyama sightseeing district. Elegant and contemporary…
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Northern Honshū (Tōhoku)
Takamiya is an atmospheric, upmarket ryokan that has been in business for nearly three centuries. There are several beautiful indoor and outdoor baths,…
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Nara
An utterly charming stay in a traditional 1920s building, which was once a tea master's home. Choose from bunk-bed dorms or five different-size private…
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Ueno & Yanesen
A project of Tokyo University of the Arts, Hanare offers five immaculate tatami rooms in an old dormitory house, which has been tastefully upgraded to…
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Northern Honshū (Tōhoku)
Elegantly perched atop Haguro-san, and accessed by an imposing gate, Saikan is a destination for reflective, quiet travel. The main building is sparingly…
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Northern Honshū (Tōhoku)
Deep within the forest, surrounded by trees, this stunning ryokan is housed in a 200-year-old building that was carefully relocated from Iwate Prefecture…
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Western Honshū
This restored farmhouse in the Okayama countryside offers four large tatami rooms, a shared bathroom and kitchen, and bicycles that are free to use. In…
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Central Honshū
Yarimikan is a wonderfully traditional onsen ryokan (hot-spring inn) on the Kamata-gawa, with two indoor baths, eight riverside rotemburo (outdoor baths;…
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Kyūshū
Visiting dignitaries might stay in the sumptuous, 40-room Rikyū wing, but those of more modest means can splurge on the less expensive of Hakusuikan's 164…
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Hiroshima Region
Hotel Cycle, within the large U2 complex right on the waterfront boardwalk, is aimed at both the cycling crowd and those with an eye for design. The dark,…
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Kii Peninsula
Among Kōya-san's most atmospheric temples, with a thatched roof and an old kitchen with exposed wooden beams, Shōjōshin-in is a wonderful choice for your…
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Shinjuku & Northwest Tokyo
This eyrie atop a Tange Kenzō–designed skyscraper in west Shinjuku looks no less tasteful and elegant than when it opened more than 20 years ago, and it…
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Northern Honshū (Tōhoku)
Room options here range from quaint cottages with private bathrooms to split-level dwellings where you're just within snoring distance of your fellow…
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Hokkaidō
Up the hill from the port, this immaculately clean pension with a big 'U-ni-!' sign has Western-style twin rooms. Meals include local seafood; rates with…
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Kamakura
A three-minute walk to the beach, this lovely guesthouse occupies a restored wooden building that's almost a century old, with paper lampshades and a…
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Ueno & Yanesen
Sawanoya is a gem in quiet Yanaka, run by a very friendly family and with all the traditional hospitality you would expect of a ryokan. The shared cypress…
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Fuji Five Lakes
On a quiet backstreet, this excellent choice combines an old Japanese-style house (where guests have breakfast) and a new build behind it housing fabulous…
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Kii Peninsula
This pretty hillside temple, set around a garden, offers both simple but nicely done-up rooms and pricier en-suite rooms with newly updated facilities. It…
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Central Honshū
Opposite Fukuji-Onsen-shimo bus stop, the entrance to Yumoto Chōza is reached by a rustic covered walkway, as if to take you back in time. Bold, dark…
