Areas
Luxury hotels in Japan by area
Where you stay shapes the trip as much as the hotel does. Each area page explains how the district divides, then lists the properties we have written up in English.
Luxury hotels in Tokyo36 properties
Most of Tokyo’s luxury hotels sit on the upper floors of office towers in Otemachi, Marunouchi and Nihonbashi, with more around Roppongi, Toranomon and Ginza. They share a skyline, but the direction and the height of the rooms change what you actually see: the Imperial Palace gardens, Tokyo Bay, or Mount Fuji on a clear morning.
Luxury hotels and ryokan in Kyoto31 properties
Kyoto’s luxury hotels divide clearly by location. Along the Kamo River and in central Kyoto you are within walking distance of restaurants and shrines. In Higashiyama you are among the temples, close to Gion. Further out, in places such as Takagamine, you trade convenience for gardens and silence.
Luxury resorts in Okinawa20 properties
Okinawa’s luxury stays fall into two kinds: large resorts on the west coast of the main island, and smaller villas on the outer islands such as Miyakojima and Ishigaki. Guests write about pools and ocean views here more than anywhere else in Japan.
Luxury ryokan and hotels in Hakone23 properties
Hakone is a hot-spring area within easy reach of Tokyo, and its luxury ryokan are the main reason many people come. The water and the views change by district: Gora sits on the slope above the valley, Sengokuhara is a high plateau of pampas grass, and the hotels around Lake Ashi look out over the water toward Mount Fuji.
Luxury hotels and ryokan in Hokkaido14 properties
Hokkaido’s luxury stays are spread across Niseko, Lake Toya, Tomamu and the countryside around them. The reason to come changes with the season: skiing and powder snow in winter, cool air and open landscapes in summer.
Luxury hotels in Osaka9 properties
Osaka’s luxury hotels are mostly high-rise properties around Umeda and Honmachi. Many guests choose them as a base: Kansai International Airport is within reach, and Kyoto and Nara are easy day trips by train.
Luxury hotels and villas in Karuizawa7 properties
Karuizawa is a summer retreat in the mountains, about an hour from Tokyo by shinkansen. Its luxury stays range from resort hotels near the station to separate villas scattered in the forest.
Luxury ryokan in Izu16 properties
The Izu Peninsula covers a lot of ground: Shuzenji and the Amagi mountains inland, the plateau of Izu Kogen on the east coast, and Shimoda further south. Many people come for the architecture and gardens of long-established ryokan, some of them protected heritage buildings.
Luxury ryokan and hotels in Atami10 properties
Atami is about 40 minutes from Tokyo by shinkansen, which makes it one of the easiest onsen towns to reach for a short stay. Many of its luxury inns sit on high ground above the town, looking out over Sagami Bay.
Luxury ryokan in Yufuin and Beppu16 properties
Yufuin and Beppu are both hot-spring towns in Oita, but they feel very different. Yufuin sits at the foot of Mount Yufu, and its best-known inns are made up of separate cottages among trees. Beppu, with its rising steam, has more hotels looking out over the sea.
Luxury hotels in Nara5 properties
Most of Nara’s luxury hotels are close to Nara Park and its temples and shrines. Because many visitors come for the day from Kyoto or Osaka, staying overnight gives you the city in the early morning and the evening, when it is at its quietest.
Luxury hotels and ryokan near Mount Fuji12 properties
Most people come to this area for one thing: a view of Mount Fuji across the lake. But a “Fuji view” is not the same everywhere. The height of the hotel and the direction the rooms face change how much of the mountain you see, and whether the lake is in the foreground.
Luxury hotels and ryokan in Ise-Shima5 properties
Most of Ise-Shima’s luxury stays look out over Ago Bay, a ria coastline of small inlets and islands within Ise-Shima National Park. Guests often come for a hot spring or a spa, and many stay more than one night.
Luxury ryokan and hotels in Arima and Kobe6 properties
Arima Onsen lies on the north side of the Rokko mountains, and Kobe is the port city on the other side. Both are close to Osaka, which makes it easy to combine a hot spring and a city walk in a single night.
Luxury hotels and ryokan in Hakuba and Matsumoto6 properties
This area covers Hakuba, facing the Northern Alps, and the castle town of Matsumoto and the mountains around it. In winter people come for the skiing; in summer for the mountain scenery and hiking.
Luxury ryokan in Kirishima and Ibusuki7 properties
Kirishima and Ibusuki are both hot-spring areas in Kagoshima, but one is in the mountains and the other by the sea. Kirishima sits among volcanic peaks near Kirishima Shrine; Ibusuki, at the southern tip of the Satsuma Peninsula, is known for its sand baths.