115 Best Hotels in Japan

This resort hotel has the lake in front and the mountains of Komagatake in back. The Ryuguden bathhouse has open-air hot-spring baths with lake views, and the hotel offers tours and activities such as yoga, fishing trips, and kayaking.

Directly across from the Kyoto International Conference Hall, nestled in a forest setting, this grand hotel will make you feel like visiting royalty. Rooms are spacious, with views of lush greenery on both sides, some facing the nearby mountains and others the inner garden. Demonstrations of the tea ceremony take place in the teahouse beside the garden pond upon request. The chef of the French-themed Beaux Sejours restaurant is one of city's most talented practitioners. The Kokusai Kaikan subway station is a few minutes away by foot.

The surrounding parkland and the absence of any adjacent structures make the Park Tower a peaceful urban retreat, where a vertically impressive atrium lobby, with two glass elevators, gives a clear look into the building's hollow core. Guest rooms are somewhat generic but roomy for the price, with the corner doubles and twins being the most desirable, as they have the best views. Guests staying on the Premium Club Floor have free use of the lounge and spa and fitness facilities, and receive complimentary breakfast. Bathrooms with jetted tubs and separate full-stall showers are nice, modern touches. The Sky Lounge Stellar Garden on the 33rd floor offers cocktails and supreme night views of Tokyo Tower.

This modern guesthouse sits in the center of the village's flower-filled pedestrian area. The owner is not only extremely knowledgeable about butterflies but is also an agile fisherman, so dinners can include freshwater fish, plus seasonal wild mushroom soup served from a giant cauldron in the dining room. He can also take guests on fishing trips. Sake liqueurs made from fruits like mountain grapes may enhance (or hinder) the next day's hiking power. There are clean tatami rooms with shared washing areas, and use of the Kurodake no Yu hot spring next door is free; there are two options for dinner. 

Built in the 1930s, the well-established RIGHA Royal is where the royal family stays when visiting Osaka, and it received a major makeover before reopening in March 2025 as part of IHG's new Vignette Collection of individually managed luxury hotels. The hotel contains more than 20 restaurants, bars, and karaoke rooms, and no fewer than 60 shops—in addition to more than 1,000 rooms and suites. The West Wing has standard rooms for business travelers, the Tower Wing standard and executive floors. A stay in the VIP tower means free access to the swimming club's two rooftop pools and gym (other guests pay ¥6,600). A shuttle bus drops you off at Umeda and Yodoya-bashi stations.

One of Kyoto's major hotels, recognized for its excellent service and restaurants, the Rihga Royal is a five-minute walk from Kyoto Station, making it an especially fine choice for those with early train connections. Although it is a Western-style hotel, paper shoji windows and Japanese textiles lend atmosphere to the rooms. Four-person family rooms are available for larger groups. Kyoto's only revolving restaurant crowns the building, offering splendid views of the city; there are four other on-site restaurants. The staff members are trained to make you feel like a VIP.

Opened in the heart of Sakae in 2024, the new hotel offers spacious rooms with sweeping city views and is in the perfect location for nightlife and shopping. Occupying the 24th to 32nd floors of the towering Chunichi Building, rooms on the Premium floor, where everything is 55 square meters or larger, offer the top options. The main differences between the sleek room categories are in the design, some being defined by lighter woods and materials, but others with a darker feel. You'll also find a gym and sauna that are free for all guests, plus several restaurants and a bar.

Before it was upstaged by the bathing monkeys, Kanaguya Ryokan, the town's oldest and grandest traditional inn, was Shibu Onsen's main draw. Kanaguya Ryokan's majestic wooden building dates from the late 18th century and retains a traditional atmosphere both inside and out. Most rooms don't have attached baths (most do have a private toilet), but five of the eight hot-spring baths in the ryokan can be used privately. The ryokan serves locally sourced feasts for dinner and breakfast and also offers a selection of local sake. Attentive kimono-clad service staff make sure your stay is comfortable, and the inn offers morning tours of the source hot spring and the elaborate network of pipes running into the hotel.

Get a real taste of Japanese living in the comfortable and homely surroundings of this small ryokan. Room sizes are measured by the number of tatami mats, guests sleep on futons, and there is a bath for each of the two rooms, one of which is large enough to accommodate a group of 6 (it's possible to rent the entire ryokan for group of 8 people). The wonderfully friendly owners provide a great Japanese-style breakfast, and even offer calligraphy sessions for those with an interest. Excellent location within walking distance of the two train stations, the city's main shopping areas, and Nara Koen.

The quietest ryokan on the city side of Nara Park, the Nanto has airy tatami rooms with a simplicity fit for a Zen retreat. Interior rock gardens are placed throughout the mazelike collection of rooms, which makes finding the communal bath an adventure. There are large rooms that are perfect for families; most rooms have toilets, some have tubs. A Japanese breakfast is included. Ryokan Nanto is halfway between Kintetsu Nara Station and JR Nara Station.

Across the Nagara River from Gifu Castle, Ryokan Sugiyama is a tasteful blend of traditional and modern, offering large rooms with tatami floors and elegant shoji doors—ask for one overlooking the river. The staff are polite in a mannered way, and the food (meals and no-meals plans are available) features the ubiquitous ayu alongside traditional ryokan fare. There's a nice hot-spring bath on the roof. The place is run by the same family whose cormorant fishing masters ply the river every night in ukai season, and some of the staff speak English. It's a 15-minute taxi ride from Gifu Station or a 10-minute walk north of the castle.

Friendly service and delicious meals, which are included in the basic rates, make for a relaxed stay in this quiet mix of old and new. The newer wing has suites with private baths, whereas rooms in the old wing share a communal bath. A green tea porridge breakfast is served in the dining room overlooking the interior garden. Prices include a kaiseki dinner and breakfast, and there are reduced prices for stays of three nights or more. Tsubakiso is down a quiet side street in central Nara, about a 10-minute walk from either of the main train stations.

Treat yourself to a stay—or perhaps just a fantastic dinner—at this charming ryokan built in 1774. The rooms are intimate and secluded, and the suite overlooking the 400-year-old garden is especially captivating. You can't go wrong with the fabulous, filling, traditional dinners that incorporate the best local delicacies, from fish to fruit. The same friendly and hospitable folks run the Kurashiki Kokusai Hotel, so some English is spoken and foreigners are welcome and pampered. The hotel is across the bridge from the Ohara Art Museum.

With classic European style, white-gloved bellhops, and conveniences like in-room refrigerators tastefully hidden away in wooden cabinets, Sapporo's grand dame has welcomed guests since 1934. In the heart of downtown, the three buildings (Main, Annex, and East) almost fill a city block. Rooms in the older main building feel like a gentlemen's club, with striped wallpaper and small armchairs, while those in the east wing exhibit a more modern flair. In the Memorial Library, check out photographs of VIP guests and mementos of their stays, such as Margaret Thatcher's thank-you letter and the 1955 lunch menu for the visiting New York Yankees.

Its chic interiors have enabled this boutique hotel near the Imperial Palace to gain a foothold in this competitive market with individually designed suites, each the unique creation of a different renowned local or international interior designer. The styles range from traditional, with sliding doors painted with gold leaf, to ultramodern, with everything in ethereal whites. In a popular one, diaphanous white curtains halo the walls and bed. If your suite isn't to your taste, if at all possible the staff will move you to one that is. The rooftop bar has fine city views, and you can dine under the stars in the courtyard.

Location is key to this otherwise unremarkable hotel in the towering Mark City complex—not only does the Narita Express depart from nearby Shibuya Station regularly but the Shinjuku neighborhood is just a five-minute train ride north, and there are plenty of shops and affordable restaurants outside the door. Guest rooms are plain but comfortable. For families the extra space in the larger rooms is worth the higher prices. North-facing rooms on the 10th floor and above (including the ladies-only floor on level 20) have views of the Shinjuku skyline. Two restaurants on the top floor also offer excellent views.

Originally opened in the 1950s and then reopened in 2016 after a major renovation ahead of hosting the Ise-Shima G7 summit, the Shima Kanko is Ise-Shima’s premier Western-style luxury hotel, with a very refined look and feel throughout its two zones: the spacious Classic and the Bay Suites. The facilities include several highly rated French and Japanese restaurants, a tea-ceremony room, a spa, summer-only pool, and a gym where President Obama took his morning run during the summit.

At this V-shaped resort hotel that faces the Pacific, the decor is more functional than it is aesthetically pleasing, but the white sand of Shirahama Beach is just steps away, and there are oceans views from all rooms and the public onsen baths, which open early enough for you to catch the sunrise while soaking.

If you are looking for a vacation from your vacation, this simple countryside inn offers proximity to nature, relaxing baths, and the chance to get your hands dirty—not to mention accommodations for guests in wheelchairs, which is not the norm for most small inns. Meals are included here, typically served in your room, and include any number of local ingredients. Demonstrations of soba-making, cloth-dyeing, and other events happen depending on the season, so ask what is going on when you make your reservations. If you wake up early,  join the staff in the vegetable patch and pick the ingredients for breakfast, also included. The location is quite remote, but the staff will take you to the station or to Chuson-ji Temple. They will even take you to Hiraizumi Station, wait for you to put your luggage in a locker, and then drop you off at the temple, so you can enjoy your time there.  Ask in advance for a pickup if you're arriving by train.

Contemplate the Hell Valley while soaking in one of the 35 different baths at Takimotokan Hokkaido. This Japanese-style hotel is often busy with tour groups from Japan and overseas. The main draw is sitting in the sumptuous waters, where swimsuits are allowed in some of the outside baths. There's also a daily shuttle bus from Sapporo. Nonguests can bathe for ¥2,250.

Upon entering this cross between a luxury Western-style hotel and traditional inn, you'll remove your shoes and socks, sit at a counter bar with your tired feet resting in a hot-mineral-spring bath under the bar, and enjoy a tea or beer while checking in. There are Japanese rooms, Western rooms, and combinations of the two, with raised islands of tatami atop wood flooring; prices vary greatly depending on room type and meal (or no-meal) plans. There are two shared onsen baths, one outdoors and one indoors. Some rooms have private baths on terraces with wonderful views of the mountains.

At the foot of the Philosopher's Path and near the temple and shrine-filled Okazaki area, the renovated Westin Miyako is only minutes from major attractions. Separate cottages with Japanese-style rooms are available, and the views from the restaurants take on a magical quality at night when city lights are twinkling. For several decades this was the queen of Kyoto's hotels and the top choice of visiting celebrities, but newer high-end properties have eclipsed it.

The sleek lobby on the 26th floor leads to the modern lounge with huge wall-to-wall windows overlooking the city, mountains, and distant ocean; the guest rooms share these gorgeous views. Do be aware that you'll have to work your way through the ground-level entrance, which can feel like an office building, but you'll be rewarded once upstairs.

This ryokan feels very "Japanese," and what it lacks in big-hotel amenities it makes up for in atmosphere, albeit with some limitations, including some shared-bath rooms, that may not appeal to all travelers. A traditional ryokan, Yachiyo is in a quiet, verdant part of town close to the Heian Jingu Shrine and the National Museum of Modern Art. The least expensive rooms share bathrooms. If you prefer, you can have breakfast and dinner in your room instead of the restaurant.