55 Best Hotels in Japan

If a search for absolute serenity is what brought you to Iya, head straight for Chiiori House. This restored Iya farmhouse, managed by the Chiiori Trust, is available for private overnight stays. The recently renovated facilities are a lot more comfortable than what residents from past centuries were used to, especially the swanky kitchen and cedar bathtub, but the breeze through the cedar trees and the morning mist over the valley are timeless. You can prepare your own food in the kitchen or arrange for a local cook to prepare an Iya-style dinner for an additional fee per person. The house can sleep up to 10 people, with the per-person rate becoming smaller as the number of guests increases.

Founded in 1818 to accommodate provincial lords visiting the capital, this elegant inn is well known for its restrained and subtle beauty. The private hallway leading to each room's doorway makes all the accommodations feel like suites. The seven rooms in the modern wing have private gardens, even on the upper floor, and are equipped with cedar baths. Rooms in the older wing set the standard for quiet elegance, with exquisitely sculpted wooden details and in some cases gold-leaf sliding doors. In traditional ryokan style, meals are served in your room by a kimono-clad attendant. Hiiragiya has an annex a few blocks away with more affordable prices.

Directly opposite the Kyoto National Museum and next to the famous Sanjusangen-do Temple, this is one of Kyoto's premier hotels, offering spacious tasteful rooms. Room interiors are exquisitely designed with soothing colors and garden views for south-facing rooms. The multilingual staff are knowledgeable and most helpful. The garden-view Japanese restaurant specializes in kaiseki dining.

In a skyscraper looming high over the main train station, this hotel puts the city at your feet. The rooms are located on the 23rd to 34th floors, so they have magnificent views of the city. Unlike many Japanese hotels, this hotel has double rooms with king-size beds rather than only twins. The "moderate single" rooms are a little cramped, but other rooms have more space and larger windows. The 22nd-floor spa (extra charge) has deep pools and big windows, so you can enjoy views of the city skyline as you soak.

At once exquisitely refined and delightfully friendly, Kankaso exemplifies the best of Japanese hospitality, and a delicious kaiseki dinner is included, as is breakfast. Beautiful gardens surround this peaceful ryokan near Todai Temple, and inside, elegant ikebana arrangements adorn the alcove. Each room is decorated with scrolls and pottery. Although the building has been renovated over the centuries, its 1,200-year-old central beam testifies to its longevity. The communal baths look out onto the gardens. 

Opened in 2024, the new Marriott offers luxurious rooms and hotel artwork celebrating Nagasaki's "wakaran" heritage, a mix of Japanese, Chinese, and Dutch influences next to Nagasaki train station. There is an excellent main restaurant, two specialty restaurants (teppanyaki and sushi), room service, and an executive lounge. Even if you're not staying at the hotel, it is worthwhile stopping by for afternoon tea and elegant desserts, or cocktails and a meal in an elegant setting with a night view of Mt. Inasa.

One of the city's newest luxury hotels looks out over the city from Osaka's tallest building and has some of the best nighttime views of any hotel in the region. Situated on the 38th to 57th floors of the new Abeno Harukas Building, the floor-to-ceiling windows give every room a bright, airy feeling that complements the subdued but trendy decor. The Premium Corner rooms offer views from two angles as well as a view from the bath. Located above Tennoji Station, the hotel is a short train ride from many tourist attractions and a short taxi from the nightlife areas of Namba and Shin-sai-bashi.

European-style furnishings and mellow contemporary art make the standard rooms at this high-end hotel some of the best in the city. As an added bonus, and unlike many other hotels in Japan, staying guests can make use of the pool and gym for free, and there are also discounts at the hotel's excellent restaurants. Be sure to enjoy a drink in Tavola 36, the hotel's top-floor sky lounge. If you are coming from the airport, use the courtesy phone to request a bellhop to collect your bags as soon as you get off the train. Take the third-floor exit at Nankai Namba Station.

When not submerged in the mineral waters at this relaxing lodging that dates from 1925, you can warm yourself by the glowing coals in the irori (sunken hearth) in the lobby and enjoy the delicious included meals. The rates include breakfast and dinner; the kaiseki course dinner is usually served in your room (vegetarian options are available). The inn is among the shops and galleries near the thermally heated Lake Kinrin, which gives off steam much of the year. Service is excellent, with kind and thoughtful staff. 

With a central location and stylish, bright, and relatively spacious guest rooms, this hotel is a reliable choice for business travelers and families alike. The Michelin two-star French restaurant Pierre Gagnaire has excellent views, and the Atrium Lounge has live piano performances that create quite the atmosphere.

Elevators shoot up 28 floors in the slick, green-hued Tokyo Shiodome Building to a lobby of dark oak paneling and bronze lattices at the luxurious Conrad, which artfully mixes ultramodern and traditional Japanese aesthetics. Rooms have high ceilings and bathrooms with dual sinks, rain-shower heads, and separate tubs (complete with rubber duckies). For the best views, opt for a room facing the bay rather than one overlooking the city. Indeed, the Twin Bay View Rooms (a roomy 516 square feet) have the latest in modern hotel design (granite bathroom counters, ergonomic desk chairs) and Japanese aesthetics (a charcoal drawing of cherry blossoms above the headboard). Dining options include the award-winning China Blue and Kazahana, which serves superb Japanese cuisine and overlooks the Hama Rikyu Garden. Be sure to come with plenty of Hilton points (or your best plastic)—room prices are as sky-high as the lobby entrance.

As this hotel is perched above the water and a secluded beach, all of its Japanese-style guest rooms overlook the sea. Service is first-class, despite the hotel's popularity with tour groups, and the room rate includes a seafood kaiseki dinner, served in your room, as well as a buffet breakfast. For relaxation and pampering, head to the day spa, outdoor hot spring, or swimming pool.

Individual cottages, some with thatched roofs in the greenery of Nara Park, make Edosan one of Nara's most peaceful and unique lodgings. Indulge in a traditional kaiseki dinner served in your cottage while you gaze through a large round window out into the lush landscape. One cottage has a private bath, and there's also a communal bath for other guests.

Accommodations are comfortable (if a little threadbare) at this lakefront hotel, where a terrace lounge affords fine views of the lake and of Mt. Fuji beyond and amenities include hot-spring baths, tennis courts, pitch-and-putt golf, and rental bicycles. For rooms, there's a choice of Western-style or (more expensive) Japanese-style rooms. The staff speaks English and are helpful in planning excursions.

This family-run ryokan on Shuzenji's main street has rooms that look out on the Katsura-gawa, plus gorgeous stone- and wood-lined indoor hot springs. Meals are a European-influenced take on a kaiseki course.

One of the best hotels in town, the sophisticated Grand Hyatt overlooks the Canal City shopping and entertainment complex. Those craving a little extravagance won't be disappointed. Huge stone pillars and blond wood panels set a relaxing mood in the lobby, which descends into a lounge with an arresting view. Beyond an immense wall of glass a fountain splashes, and on the other side of that is the concave hemisphere of Canal City's Urban Theater. The hotel's opulent rooms peer out over the mall's interior or the Naka River and the rest of the city.

Glitz and glitter lure expense-accounters to the Hilton Osaka, in the heart of the business district, a typical Western-style hotel with endless marble and brass. The high-ceiling lobby is dramatic and stylish, and the arcade is home to designer boutiques. The five executive floors have a lounge for complimentary continental breakfasts and evening cocktails, and the decor is 21st-century art deco with a Japanese streak.

Once a ryokan, this resort hotel in owada-Hachimantai National Park combines the options of a ryokan with the extras of a resort, offering activities that you can take advantage of to see and experience the area in addition to the beautiful mountain views and on-site onsen. You can go everywhere in the place in your pajama-like loungewear. The lobby is dominated by a soaring chimney decorated by Taro Okamoto, and enormous plate-glass windows overlook a beautiful natural setting. A variety of rooms is available. And the buffet includes apple-related fare since that's what Aomori is known for. While there is a free bus from Hachinohe, Aomori, and Shin-Aomori JR stations, be sure to make a reservation when you book, and confirm the departure time so you don't miss it. In addition to outdoor activities, they also run things like open-air bus tours. There are plenty of things to do, so don't be late and miss the welcome drinks.

This is the nicest and most convenient hotel in downtown Hirara, and every room at this contemporary high-rise hotel next to Hirara Wharf boasts ocean views. The rooms are large, and each has a big picture window; corner deluxe rooms enjoy two of them. Suites are large, with L-shaped sectional sofas. There are various dining options at the hotel, but it is also not too far to venture out to the local restaurants.

When you have had enough of feeling that you're in a city, try this sheltered haven of a hotel surrounded by a 17-acre garden nestled onto the former estate of an imperial prince. Guest rooms, some of the city's largest, are done it tasteful, muted tones. Spacious bathrooms have soaking tubs with separate showers. Deluxe rooms overlook the garden or offer pleasant skyline views. Amenities include a spa and a pool that can be adjusted for use in all conditions.

Centrally situated between JR Nara Station and Nara Park, what this simple hotel may lacking charm and ambience, it more than makes up for in location and price. The pink wave-shaped lighting in the atrium harks back to the 1980s economic bubble. There are two restaurants, one of which, Hanakagami, serves Japanese cuisine.

Connected by walkways to Hiroshima's JR Station, this conveniently located hotel is welcoming to weary travelers. Granvia's location and unpretentious, comfortable rooms make it a good choice for travelers arriving later in the evening or taking an early train out of the city. The Japanese restaurant Seto-uchi, on the second floor, offers a sampling of good traditional fare, and the expansive lobby is great for people-watching. 

The InterContinental offers lovely views of the Rainbow Bridge, Tokyo Bay, and surrounding Odaiba and has large rooms featuring soft neutral textiles and bathrooms with separate showers and tubs—all of which offsets a somewhat isolated location, wedged between Tokyo Bay and an expressway, with nothing in the way of nearby entertainment options. The club floors (20th to 24th) have a breakfast buffet and complimentary evening drinks to go with a dedicated check-in area. Haneda Airport is easily accessible from JR Hamamatsucho Station, just an 8-minute walk from the hotel.

This is the biggest resort hotel on Lake Yamanaka, with European-style rooms, hot-spring baths, on-site game and karaoke rooms, and a nature walk on the grounds. The guest rooms are larger than those at the other hotels, and the spacious lounges have fine views of the lake and mountain.

Situated in the heart of Ginza, this hotel is a chic place to unwind after a day of shopping and before a night on the town. Rooms range from spacious king-bed doubles and twins to sprawling suites; all are sleekly designed and have nice touches like Nespresso machines, eco-friendly Bee Kind bath products, and 50-inch wall-mounted TVs. Although the Centric keeps things minimal in terms of communal hotel facilities, it does have a bar, restaurant, gym, and laidback lobby lounge.

Though not as fashionable or modern as its neighbor the Peninsula, when it comes to traditional elegance, it's hard to top the venerable Imperial, which opened in 1890 and has always been justly proud of its Western-style facilities and personalized Japanese service. Located in the heart of central Tokyo, between the Imperial Palace and Ginza, the hotel has its finest rooms on the 30th floor of the tower, providing views of the palace grounds. In general, rooms—complete with walk-in closets—range from standard singles (344 square feet) to suites that are larger than many homes. Since some Tower rooms are just above the JR train lines, a room closer to Hibiya Park might be a little more pleasing. Dining options are varied and superb, including the award-winning Les Saisons, which is one of Tokyo's finest French restaurants. The Old Imperial Bar incorporates elements from the 1923 version of the hotel, which Frank Lloyd Wright designed, and the Toko-An teahouse offers traditional tea ceremonies.

Perched on the edge of a steep ravine above the Iya River, this upscale hot-springs inn provides absolute luxury in the middle of nowhere. Iya Onsen is one of Japan's three "secret" baths (if you ask locals where the other two are, nobody seems to know). Reasons to stay here include the sweeping views from most guest rooms, the lavish meals, and the riverside hot-spring bath accessed by cable car. When the mist rises from the valley in the early morning, it really does feel like you're in a hidden world. A hotel bus picks up overnight guests from Oboke Station at 3:10 pm (reservation needed).

"Fit for a king" is often an exaggeration, but in this case it's true—Jyoseikan is where the emperor and empress once stayed. A monumental, somewhat dated exterior gives way to a grand interior with spacious Japanese-style rooms, exquisite tatami suites, and a sauna and bath with wonderful views of the city and the castle. There are pleasant Western-style twins available, but they don't come close to the traditional Japanese rooms in either the main building or new annex. No-meal or limited-meal plans are possible too, if you want to keep the price more affordable, but most rates include breakfast and a refined kaiseki or French dinner. It's seven stops west of Harimaya Bridge by tram. 

Built in the traditional honmune-zukuri style, this hot-springs lodging has a characteristic peaked roof, ornamental woodwork above the front gable, and bow windows. The spacious lobby has crossbeams made from the trunk of a zelkova tree. There are two hot-spring baths: Kikuburo is made of Italian marble with a large carved chrysanthemum, while beniburo has an open-air tub. Ground-floor guest rooms face the garden, and some have private cypress baths. Artfully arranged meals on lacquer trays arrive in your room. The hotel is a 20-minute bus ride from Matsumoto Station to Asama-onsen, which is northeast of the city at the foot of the Utsukushigahara highlands.