Columns

Mandarin Oriental, Tokyo and The Peninsula Tokyo — both Forbes five-star hotels with five-star spas — compared by location, views, spa, check-in time and what guests write about each.

HOSHINOYA Kyoto and Suiran, a Luxury Collection Hotel — two luxury stays on the Oi River in Arashiyama — compared by how you get there, the buildings, Michelin Keys and Forbes stars, and what guests write.

The Ritz-Carlton, Kyoto and Four Seasons Hotel Kyoto compared: location, views, Michelin Keys and Forbes stars, and what guests write — the Kamo River in the city centre, or a historic pond garden in Higashiyama.

Halekulani Okinawa and The Ritz-Carlton, Okinawa compared: location, how close you are to the sea, Michelin Keys and Forbes stars, and what guests write — beachfront days, or a quiet hilltop with a spa.

Aman Kyoto and Park Hyatt Kyoto compared: location, how you spend your days, Michelin Keys and Forbes stars, and what guests write — a forest retreat in the north, or Higashiyama on foot.

Gora Kadan in Hakone and Asaba in Shuzenji — the two ryokan awarded three Michelin Keys in 2026 — compared by location, buildings, rooms and what guests write about each.

The Ritz-Carlton, Tokyo and Four Seasons Hotel Tokyo at Otemachi compared: location, rooms, club lounge and pool, Michelin Keys and Forbes stars — to help you decide which suits your stay.

Eight luxury hotels and ryokan that opened or reopened in Japan between 2024 and 2026 — including HOSHINOYA Nara Prison, GORA KADAN FUJI, Fairmont Tokyo and JW Marriott Hotel Tokyo — with opening dates and what sets each apart.

Hakone or Lake Kawaguchi for a luxury ryokan stay? We compare getting there from Tokyo, Mount Fuji views, private onsen baths and travelling without a car, using each hotel’s official information.

A room “with a private onsen” can mean an outdoor bath, an indoor tub by an open window, or a bath you book by the hour. We show what each term covers, using examples from hotels’ official sites, checked October 2026.

Where the tattoo rules of six Japanese hotels and ryokan apply — shared baths, pools, the spa, public areas — compared using the wording on their official sites, checked October 2026. Whether each accepts guests with tattoos is not stated on the pages we read.

Aman Tokyo and Bulgari Hotel Tokyo compared: location, rooms, what the rate includes, Michelin Keys and Forbes stars, and what guests write about each — to help you decide which suits your stay.

HOSHINOYA Okinawa and Halekulani Okinawa compared: location, rooms, pools, Michelin Keys and Forbes stars, and what guests write about each — to help you choose the right Okinawa resort.

Ten of Japan’s luxury hotels and ryokan that English-speaking travel YouTubers have stayed at and filmed — from Aman Kyoto and Amanemu to Gora Kadan and Park Hyatt Niseko — with links to each video.

NOT A HOTEL sells shares in architect-designed villas, but anyone can book the nights owners do not use. When booking opens, where to book, and what each of the six locations — Nasu, Aoshima, Kitakaruizawa, Fukuoka, Ishigaki and Minakami — is like.

What you pay for at Japan’s most expensive hotels and ryokan: stand-alone villas, the size of the rooms, what the rate includes, and how few rooms there are — with TENKU’s published rates as an example.