69 Best Hotels in Japan

Exquisite furnishings, indoor and outdoor hot-springs baths, and spacious, predominately Japanese-style rooms with floor-to-ceiling windows are among this hotel's draws. Prices are high, but they include a multicourse dinner, served in your room, and breakfast the next morning. The inn is a 10-minute walk west up a steep hill from Atami Station, but the hotel operates a station shuttle bus for guests.

In a small port town on Ikuchi Island, where the Shimanami Kaido enters the outskirts of Onomichi, this luxury ryokan has repurposed a 140-year-old merchant’s estate to create an inviting spot to end your bike tour. Blending modern amenities into the traditional setting, rooms combine elements such as tatami, cedar and granite flooring, cypress baths tubs, and shoji paper screens to create a very sleek, airy feel. Dinner (an optional extra) is served on antique tableware and features locally sourced produce turned into multicourse Japanese meals. The ryokan can also arrange activities such as Zen meditation at a local temple, cycling tours, and boat fishing. It  sometimes offers 20% seasonal discounts.

This luxury resort on the beautiful Cape Busena has been pampering guests for decades with its comfortable guest rooms and wide range of activities, from early morning yoga to private sunset yacht cruises. It was chosen as the site of the 26th G8 summit in 2000, and you can spot the occasional picture of Clinton, Putin, Blair, and other leaders relaxing in their colorful Okinawan kairyushi shirts. There are eight restaurants, of which Rumble Fish, with its unique seafood market design, and prime location at the tip of the peninsula, is the most renowned. The indoor swimming pool is open year-round, while the two outdoor pools are open in season.

Direct connection to the metro lines makes this a great place to stay, as do the tastefully decorated rooms and lobby designed by renowned architect Kengo Kuma. The fitness center and many of the large, modern rooms have excellent city views; some suites even overlook the nearby Hie Shrine. The hotel's three restaurants are all good bets, though the highly rated breakfast is on the pricey side.

Occupying the 19th to 37th floors of a tower that is, itself, on a slope above Shibuya's chaos, this hotel has an expansive, welcoming lobby, as well as spacious, tastefully designed rooms with neutral color schemes and fantastic views of Tokyo Tower or Mt. Fuji (when weather cooperates). Some rooms include windows in the bathroom to allow for bath-time city gazing. Rooms on the Executive floors have access to the 35th floor lounge for cocktails or afternoon tea.

The family-friendly, all-inclusive resort pampers international guests of all ages and has particularly good children's programming. While your children are entertained in Kids Club, you can explore the slopes, or enjoy romantic fine-dining at lunch. Service is excellent, and the nightly entertainment has staff and guests up on stage singing and dancing. 

This Western-style luxury hotel is so spacious and modern that it almost feels out of place in gruff Kochi. This is the place to experience the city's hospitality and escape the hustle and bustle of the streets. There's a lovely café on the ground floor with desserts on display that will tempt you each time you walk past, and slightly expensive but high-end restaurants on the second. The rooms are pleasant and nicely proportioned, and the staff are extremely helpful.

Nestled in the foothills of the Eastern Mountains, the Four Seasons is a seven-minute walk from the Kyoto National Museum and some of Kyoto’s popular temples. All rooms offer views of the forested hillsides and Myoho-in Temple. An outside-dining deck overlooks the pond, a part of the 800-year old estate and stroll garden.

The latest Four Seasons Tokyo hotel, unveiled at the end of 2020, delights guests with its hospitality and sweeping views of Tokyo landmarks, as well as the distant Mt. Fuji. The serene, bright welcoming lounge on the 39th floor gives you the first peek at what you can expect. Every space is thoughtfully designed, and the rooms are no exception, featuring floor-to-ceiling windows with incredible views and luxurious amenities. You don’t need to leave for dinner. Just reserve a seat at Pigneto, open-kitchen Italian, or Michelin-starred restaurant Est. Finish the night at Virtù, a bar serving Japan-inspired cocktails. 

Built in 1878 and most-recently renovated in 2020, this hotel combines the best of traditional Western design with the exceptional hospitality of a fine Japanese inn—one that has, over the years, welcomed VIPs like Charlie Chaplin and John Lennon and Yoko Ono. There are both Western and Japanese restaurants, and, in the gardens behind the hotel is an old imperial villa that serves as a dining room. Hot-spring water is pumped right into the guest rooms.

Modern luxury permeates Fujiya Ryokan, which you could mistake for some kind of art gallery. Designed by architect Kuma Kengo, the sleek guest rooms are equipped with state-of-art amenities, and there are five hot-spring baths. The five exquisite hot-spring pools made from different natural materials such as granite, bamboo, and Japanese cypress provide total relaxation, and each is available to all guests for private use. Because the inn does not have dining facilities, you'll receive two substantial yet sublime Japanese meals served in your room. Contact them to arrange pickup from the train station or if you are arriving by car at their lot before getting into town. The ryokan area is not accessible by car.

Japanese refinement and a contemporary design come together perfectly at the Grand Hyatt, a centrally located hotel where no expense has been spared on materials—from the Frette bed linens to the red-granite pool in the Nagomi spa. Rooms are huge by Tokyo standards, with high ceilings, touch-panel lighting systems, remote-control blackout blinds, and muted earth tones. Bathrooms have a luxurious rain shower and a separate limestone bath. Guests staying in Grand Club rooms receive free use (for a limited time) of meeting rooms, complimentary breakfast, and evening drinks in the lounge. The bar at the Oak Door steak house is very lively in the evenings.

Set in the Jogasaki forest, this traditional Japanese inn has modern, comfortable rooms, but still retains classic elements like tatami mats, sliding screen doors, and chabudai (low dining tables) with zabuton (cushion seating). The onsen are made of wood for rustic appeal.

An elegant ryokan built upon the ruins of an old Mori clan estate, the luxurious Hokumon Yashiki pampers you in a style the ruling elite were surely accustomed to in the good old days. The inn overlooks a garden in the samurai section of town, near the castle grounds. 

A central location in a bustling complex with restaurants and shopping arcades can make the New Otani feel frantic, but its spectacular, 10-acre Japanese garden can help you find peace. Rooms in the main building feature contemporary Japanese design; those in the Garden Tower overlook ponds and waterfalls. The complex also has a pool and a spa.

Perched on a cliff overlooking the Sea of Japan, this resort in Aikawa offers ocean views, an open-air hot-spring pool, and comfortable Japanese- or Western-style rooms. What you're really here for, though, is the food: meals consist of fresh sashimi, grilled sazae (a local shellfish), wagyu beef, and vegetable tempura from Sado farms. It's all washed down with some Niigata sake, of course. The hotel is a 50-minute bus ride from Ryotsu; ask in advance about the hotel's shuttle bus.

This hotel is an oasis on the coast of Motobu located next to Ocean Expo Park and the Okinawa Churaumi Aquarium. With gorgeous views out toward Ie Island and doorstep access to Emerald Beach, it is perfect for a romantic getaway or a family vacation. Use the hotel as a convenient base to also check out Bise Village, Kouri Island, and the northern coastline up to Cape Hedo. Decor is stylish with muted natural tones. All rooms are spacious with ocean views. Most guests arrive by rental car, but the hotel has timetables and discounted tickets for the Yanbaru Express bus to the airport.

For traditional elegance, it's easy to like this venerable Japanese inn. It's the oldest and most famous lodging on the island, and everyone important has stayed here. The rooms in the wheelchair-accessible newer wing are nice enough, but the older rooms have more character. Two quaint cottages on the grounds have suites decorated with antiques. Prices vary widely according to the size of your room, the view, and the kaiseki dinner you select, so be sure to get it all ironed out when you make reservations. Breakfast and dinner are usually included in the rates and can be made Western-style. Nonguests can also enjoy the food.

The private onsen bathtubs on each room's balcony here have breathtaking views of the unspoiled valley below. The Japanese-style rooms are luxurious. Follow Route 45 as it curves right and transforms back into the old Route 32; make a left just after the decrepit pink Kazurabashi Hotel, and the lush Iya Bijin will come up on your right.

Situated in a tower of the glistening Azabudai Hills complex, the Janu is one of the newest and swankiest luxury hotels in Tokyo. This Aman Group hotel, designed by Jean-Michel Gathy, has guestrooms with floor-to-ceiling windows, private balconies, and sleek natural-tone interiors that blend Asian and contemporary Western aesthetics. To that you can add eight highly rated bars and restaurants, plus one of the city's finest spas and wellness centers.

This posh resort hotel has a gorgeous garden that stays illuminated at night, not to mention large, bright rooms offering gorgeous, panoramic views the bay, a delightfully relaxing tea room, and public hot-spring baths on the top floor. Affluent travelers may enjoy this splurge, but it's also a favorite among locals celebrating anniversaries. The Kyohei Fujita Museum of Glass, within the hotel complex, contains many opulent pieces by an artist inspired by the area. There are shops in the hotel and bicycles for rent, but the route to all the sights might be a bit busy. Confirm the times of shuttle buses to and from both Matsushima and Matsushimakaigan Stations when you make your reservations. They will also arrange pickup at other times if you call.

On the south bank of the Kiso River, this hotel has winning views of the castle and the surrounding hills. The lobby is bright and lively, and the well-tended grounds, including some hot-spring baths (open to nonguests also for ¥930), are relaxing. Sunny rooms in Japanese or Western style have pleasant vistas; the best face the castle, which is illuminated in the evening. The hotel can arrange tours of the area.

This traditional ryokan was built in the 1870s, and though it has been renovated and modernized, the main wooden structure remains true to its original design, with spacious, comfortable rooms overlooking gardens. Some Japanese literary figures have stayed in this ryokan while writing, with the natural surroundings of Yugashima as the inspiration.

The rebuilt Okura combines modern, 21st-century luxury with the retro charm and stylish design of its predecessor, an iconic property that was constructed before the first Tokyo Olympics and featured a blend of traditional Japanese and modernist aesthetics. From the outside, it looks like just another set of steel and glass towers, but the conservative dark wood in the lobby gives the Okura an air of somber sophistication. An on-site museum houses fine antiques and memorabilia connected to the original hotel.

This luxurious mountain retreat offers ski-in ski-out access to the Niseko Hanazono Resort as well as a wide range of restaurants and bars should you be lucky enough to spend several days here. Many may not feel the need to venture out to Niseko Village or Kutchan for meals. The French restaurant Molière Montagne has received glowing reviews. Rooms are spacious and elegant and have expansive views of the ski slopes. In winter (high season) there's a minimum-stay policy of up to three nights. 

From the staff in caps and sharp suits, often assisting guests from a Rolls-Royce shuttling to and from Narita, to the shimmering gold glow emitting from the top floors, the 24-floor Peninsula Tokyo exudes elegance and grace. The rooms include all sorts of glamorous touches like red-lacquered elm desks, mobile phones for use during your visit, flat-screen TVs in the bathroom, and separate soaking tubs. Bedside panels with remote controls allow you to tweak the room's ambience from the comfort of your bed. Tall windows afford pleasant views of the downtown financial district. Another amazing view can be found from the top-floor lounge, Peter, which serves European cuisine. The hotel's other dining options include Hei Fung Terrace (Cantonese), as well as sushi, tempura, and teppanyaki restaurants.

Opened in 2023, the Ritz-Carlton, Fukuoka brings a new level of luxury to Kyushu. Elegant design elements that celebrate the region's weaving culture can be seen in the rooms and communal spaces. The 25-meter swimming pool has views out over the city. Bay, the top floor bar, is the perfect place to watch the sunset and enjoy a craft beer or cocktail. The multilingual staff provide exceptional hospitality. 

This ski-in ski-out resort is popular with Japanese families and also for school trips, tour groups, and competition skiers. Recent updates to the hotel have focused on luxury wellness suites with their own saunas and, in the case of the premium suite, an oxygen capsule. The cheapest rooms—particularly the bathrooms—are in need of renovation. Young children will like the full-size indoor carousel, arcade games, and the animatronic singing bears. The "Oktoberfest" Hokkaido buffet showcases the best of the island's cuisine with all-you-can-eat snow crab. 

Established during the Meiji Restoration (1867), this small ryokan is the most lavish lodging in Kanazawa, and guests come from all over Japan as much for the food (breakfast and dinner are included in the rate) as for the stay. The interior blends traditional elegance with innovative designs—a perfect metaphor for the age of Japan's transition into modernity. Antique furnishings and exquisite scrolls and paintings appear throughout the inn. Superb regional Kaga cuisine is served in your room or in the restaurant.

At the former villa of the Iwasaki family, founders of the Mitsubishi conglomerate, this hotel has rooms furnished with museum-quality antiques. The best rooms have traditional baths made of fragrant cypress wood and overlook exquisite little private gardens. Breakfast and dinner are served in your room and are included in the rate. The Sanyoso is a five-minute taxi ride from Izu-Nagaoka Station.