98 Best Hotels in Japan

This bungalow hideaway 15 minutes south of the Churaumi Aquarium is a laid-back alternative to the bigger resorts. The rooms are spacious and most face the beach. The restaurant on the sandy deck is relaxing and intimate, and grill-it-yourself options are especially fun for families. The water is great for swimming, and the beach is quiet at night. This is a good, economical spot to spend a night after circling the northern part of the island or visiting the aquarium.

Although the well-worn rooms have thin walls, a warm welcome is assured when you enter this small home, which is just past the Ainu village end of the town. It is famous for having its own bicarbonate chloride onsen. 

Adjacent to the Imperial Palace and its park, this reasonably priced hotel has extended-stay rates. The multilingual concierge and location midway between two subway stops on the Karasuma Line compensate for the small but adequate rooms, some of which have the bonus of a kitchenette. The waiters at the restaurant are often foreign students working their way through college. The outdoor seating at the café is a nice perk, and a rare one in any Japanese city.

The exterior may look worn, but the rooms have possibly the best view in Japan. The café has a decent selection of options, but you mainly come here for the beach with good swimming and gorgeous sunset views. They also offer diving, snorkeling, and sailing excursions. You save money if you opt for the Japanese tatami rooms rather than Western beds. May close during the winter season December to February.  Staff will pick you up from Uehara Port if you phone ahead.

The best lodgings at this family-run inn just a few minutes' walk from Shimoda's main beach are the Japanese-style corner rooms, which have nice views of the hills surrounding Shimoda. The pleasant Japanese couple who run the pension speak English, and cheap meals are available in the dining room. It's worth paying extra for these (especially breakfast) as there are very few dining options nearby.

If you're all about smart technology and efficient service, try this small Ebisu property, where the lobby has an interactive map, and check-in/out and luggage storage before or after your stay can be done using self-service machines. Rooms are small, modern, and minimalist; some have smart-technology speakers and mirrors. Breakfast is limited to a small sandwich and a cuppa, but fret not—Ebisu is a transportation hub with heaps of nearby cafés and restaurants, as well as shops.

A central location on a busy corner with bus connections and comfortably furnished rooms make this moderately priced hotel a good choice in Aomori. The lobby, located on the fifth floor, is equipped with an automated check-in system that can speed things up, or at least remove any language barrier. Staff are also on hand, of course, to welcome you in the attractive lobby area. Some east-side rooms overlook Mt. Hakkoda. The rooms are bright and modern, and the breakfast buffet has quite a variety.

Pristine rooms, excellent rates, and a prime location near nightlife and shopping make this hotel a superb midrange choice. As at most business hotels, the rooms are on the small side, so book one of the roomier "Hollywood twin" rooms. The breakfast buffet is an additional cost, though there are cheaper options in the cafés in the Obiya-machi arcade, where the Richmond is located.

Two minutes from JR Yamagata Station, this sleek 12-story hotel offers reasonable rates and comfortable rooms with many amenities: bath salts, skin-care products, and special packages for kids. The breakfast offers local dishes including cold ramen and imoni, a potato hot pot. There is also a cultural arts center (Yamagin Kenmin Hall) across the street that might have interesting performances or events going on. It's a pretty safe bet, but most of what you'll want to see is on the other side of the tracks.

This simple, well-kept hotel's location makes it a good base for visiting Dewa Sanzan or exploring other cities in Yamagata Prefecture or just for checking out Tsuruoka. The hotel offers modern rooms done up in shades of cream and chocolate. A brisk three-minute walk takes you to the S-Mall shopping center, where you can find coffee or snacks and catch a bus to Mt. Haguro.

This friendly ryokan has a few modest Western-style twin rooms amid its mostly Japanese-style rooms, and its location—just behind the Kaminari-mon gateway leading to the Senso-ji complex—is convenient for exploring the area. The downside for some will be the size of the rooms; it's worth paying extra for a 12-tatami mat room if you have a lot of luggage, as the six-tatami mat rooms are extremely snug.

Just off Nakamise-dori, this small inn, with both Japanese- and Western-style rooms, could not be better located for a visit to Senso-ji temple. Although all guest quarters have private baths, Western-style rooms are plain and a bit dated, and standard Japanese rooms are cramped, even for just two. The best option is to pay a little extra for a Japanese-style deluxe or suite room with futon bedding and tatami floors. Regardless, be sure to head to the sixth floor for a soak in a Japanese-style wooden communal bath with a view of the Senso-ji pagoda.

One of the closest lodging options to the Mt. Fuji hiking trails isn't much to look at from the outside, but the interior is spacious and homey, and the English-speaking staff speak can help you plan an area sightseeing itinerary. Meals, including vegetarian options, are available at a very low price. Shuttle service is provided from Fuji Yoshida Station, if you arrange ahead of time.

Established in the 1980s, this small, simple, economical inn—where all the rooms have traditional tatami flooring and futon mattresses—is a five-minute walk from the entrance to Ueno Koen (Ueno Park) and a 10-minute walk from the Tokyo National Museum. Although the largest rooms can accommodate four or five people, others are very small.

This friendly and cozy Japanese inn attracts budget-minded travelers, and it is a lot like visiting someone's grandmother's house. There's a small dining area where optional Japanese and Western breakfasts and Japanese dinners are served. Locals often gather in the restaurant for drinks or dinner. The clean and comfortable rooms are traditional in style but are equipped with toilets and showers. 

Of the many inexpensive, small ryokan in Nara-machi, this family-run establishment is the best pick for its spotless rooms and attentive service. The quiet neighborhood contributes to the inn's relaxed atmosphere. Simple accommodations overlook a large central garden. For those interested in local history, sit down for a chat with Mr. Shigeki whose family has owned the building for three generations. This place is very popular, so it's best to book far in advance.

Just a three-minute walk from Miyanoura ferry terminal you'll find this hidden little gem where the hostess, Yukiko-san, carefully attends to her guests and makes great food. The old villa-turned-ryokan is a wooden structure, and the rooms are traditional Japanese with tatami mats and sliding doors. The per-person price includes both breakfast and dinner.

The same family has maintained a tradition of heartwarming hospitality at this charming riverside ryokan since 1893, but it's a strictly cash-only operation. Rooms vary in size and lack private bathrooms but are air-conditioned, and the location is perfect for watching the famous Matsue sunset. The food is superb and of an astounding variety—virtually all the local seafood and vegetable specialties, both raw and cooked, are served. English is spoken, and your kind hosts may even demonstrate sushi-making and a tea ceremony.

You'll get a full dose of shitamachi (lower city) friendliness at the family run Sawanoya, where you'll feel like you're part of an old Tokyo neighborhood and where people might help you plan excursions, say, or book hotels for the next leg of your journey. It is popular with budget travelers, so reserve online well in advance. Japanese bathtubs are near small windows that overlook a small garden. Coffee and tea are complimentary, but most rooms have no TVs.

Part of a no-nonsense chain of business hotels, the Shin-Osaka Washington Hotel Plaza is the smartest of its kind. The rooms are not large, but are comfortable and nicely designed. Among the highlights is the China Table Chinese restaurant, equally well known for its food and city views. The hotel is convenient to JR Shin-Osaka Station, where you can catch the bullet train.

Just a three-minute walk from JR Shinagawa Station, the multi-tower Prince Hotel is in a sprawling entertainment complex with, among other things, an 80-lane bowling alley, an 11-screen movie theater, indoor and outdoor swimming pools, tennis and golf centers, and an aquarium, but crowds definitely detract from the experience of staying here. Guest rooms, simply designed and featuring pops of earth- or jewel-tone color, are on the small side overall; indeed, singles can be truly tiny, with space for a bed and little else. Families should book a larger twin room to better accommodate the kids. The Top of Shinagawa Lounge has spectacular views of Tokyo Bay.

Shingu isn't blessed with great accommodation, but this business hotel with fair-size Western- and Japanese-style rooms is a reasonable option if you're staying overnight. Among the facilities is a small izakaya that serves a range of seafood (including regional whale dishes, like many izakaya in Shingu) and filling ramen. It's a five-minute walk from the train station.

A coffee table and easy chair are squeezed into each compact Western-style room here, which is all you need if you're en route to other Alps destinations. The guest rooms are accented with wood paneling from Nagano forests, and all rooms have free Wi-Fi. The escalator across the street from JR Nagano Station leads to the reception area and tea lounge. There's another branch on the opposite side of the station, but this one is more convenient for catching the bus or walking up the road to Zenko-ji Temple.

This hotel is popular with budget-minded foreign visitors who prefer to stay near the small Japanese restaurants and bars of the Ningyocho area of Nihonbashi. A shallow rock pond and stone lantern welcome you inside, but that's where the graces end. The biggest twin rooms are long and narrow, and the bathrooms are tiny units with low ceilings. The best accommodations are the three tatami-floored rooms on the second floor overlooking a small Japanese garden. Multicourse Japanese meals are available at an extra cost in the restaurant, Kappo Sumisho, and the original Mitsukoshi Department Store is within walking distance.

This budget hotel chain has a welcome bar where you can make your own drinks until 8 pm, but you might not want to spend too much time in the small but functional rooms. Business travelers dominate on weekdays, but families fill the place on weekends. Many different kinds of pillows and a range of amenities are available at reception. Complimentary breakfast includes simple Western fare such as breads, eggs, sausages, and salads. The doors to the hotel lock at midnight, so you'll have to use the code to get into your room as the rooms have no keys. The code comes on a small receipt-size sheet of paper, so snap a photo of that in case you lose it.

This budget-friendly business hotel is cheap and cheerful; it's also in a convenient downtown location. The bathrooms are tiny, and for these prices you shouldn't expect stunning interior design. But you get a clean, functional space with a comfortable bed in central Kobe, halfway between the city's two main train stations.

A few minutes’ south of Matsumoto Station, near the Hotel Buena Vista, the Tabino added a smart budget option to Matsumoto when it opened in the summer of 2021. The Western-style rooms are simple and bright, with natural wood tones accented by greens and oranges, and there are also some Japanese-style rooms available. As well as the on-site hot-spring baths, guests get a free evening beer in the first-floor lounge, plus morning coffee in the lobby. All rooms have free Wi-Fi.

A several-minute walk south of Takayama Station, the Ouan is a business hotel with ryokan touches. As with many ryokan, you take your shoes off in the lobby and spend your time indoors in socks or slippers. Also like a ryokan, there are top-floor hot-spring baths, including three private baths (with sweeping city views) that can be used on a first-come basis for free; a great option for families or anyone a bit shy of stripping off in public. As for the rooms, that's where the Ouan feels like a business hotel; they are small and simple but smart, and come with a tatami-like flooring, a work desk, and beds not futon.

There are more than 250 Toyoko Inn business hotels scattered around Japan, and this branch offers budget-minded travelers cramped but clean accommodations, reasonable rates, and a central location near Canal City. The hotel also provides a complimentary Japanese breakfast—onigiri (rice balls wrapped in seaweed), miso soup, and coffee. The hotel is one block west of the Haruyoshi Bridge along Kokutai-dori. Sign up for an international member's card to get discounts.

Just a short walk from JR Hiroshima Station, this functional Japanese business hotel is identical to the nearly 300 other hotels in the chain. Rooms are compact, but there's a free breakfast, and very reasonable rates. Staff are friendly, and the English website makes booking relatively simple.