Best Hotels in Japan, October 2026 Where to Stay in Japan in 2026

Ryokans have long been an important part of Japan’s hospitality tradition, with an emphasis on thoughtful service, simplicity, and attention to detail. These principles reflect broader aspects of Japanese aesthetics, where natural materials, craftsmanship, and an appreciation for imperfection have influenced architecture and design for centuries. From traditional inns to contemporary hotels, many of the country’s most distinctive stays draw on these ideas, interpreting them in different ways.

Our 2026 selection spans more than five centuries of hospitality, from historic ryokans and family-run establishments to notable new openings. Despite their differences in age, architecture, and setting, these properties share an approach to luxury that places greater value on craftsmanship, spatial balance, and thoughtful details than on excess. Together, they offer a perspective on how Japanese hospitality continues to evolve while remaining connected to its traditions.

The Shinmonzen

Higashiyama, Kyoto, Japan From $890

The Shinmonzen is a nine-suite boutique hotel on one of Gion’s most beautiful preserved streets. Conceived over more than a decade with Tadao Ando and a circle of artists and craftspeople, it borrows the intimacy and ritual of a traditional ryokan without recreating one literally. Contemporary art, Japanese craftsmanship and architecture are given equal importance, making the property as much a cultural project as a hotel.

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Azumi Sedota

Setoda, Ikuchijima Island, Onomichi, Hiroshima, Japan From $562

Azumi Setoda is the first hotel from Adrian Zecha, founder of Aman, under his new Azumi concept. Set inside a 140-year-old merchant’s residence on Ikuchijima, the property reinterprets the traditional Japanese ryokan for a contemporary traveller, preserving the intimacy, rituals and craftsmanship of the original house without turning it into a nostalgic reproduction. With only 22 suites and a quiet island setting in the Seto Inland Sea, it combines heritage, thoughtful design and the kind of highly personal hospitality that made Zecha one of the most influential figures in modern luxury travel.

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Aman Kyoto

Kyoto, Japan From $2,000

Aman Kyoto is hidden within a private forest in the foothills north of the city, where moss-covered paths, mature trees and stone gardens create a very different experience from central Kyoto. The suites and pavilions follow a minimalist ryokan aesthetic, framing the forest rather than competing with it, while onsen bathing, kaiseki dining and quiet walks set the rhythm of the stay.

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The Ritz-Carlton Nikko

Lake Chūzenji, Nikko, Japan From $760

The Ritz-Carlton, Nikko places Japanese design and ritual within one of the country’s most beautiful natural settings, overlooking Lake Chuzenji and Mount Nantai inside Nikko National Park. Rooms reference traditional Japanese craft and architecture, while the hotel also introduced the first natural hot spring experience within the Ritz-Carlton brand. The combination of lake, mountains, onsen and nearby UNESCO-listed temples gives the property far more character than a conventional luxury resort.

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Asaba Ryokan

Shuzenji, Izu, Japan From $1,150

Asaba is one of Japan’s great historic ryokans, with origins dating back to 1484 in the onsen town of Shuzenji. Its most remarkable feature is a traditional Noh stage reflected across a pond, creating a setting where architecture, performance and centuries of Japanese hospitality remain closely connected. Natural hot spring baths, bamboo groves and restrained interiors keep the experience quiet and ceremonial rather than overtly luxurious.

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Matsumoto Jujo

Matsumoto, Nagano, Japan From $465

Matsumoto Jujo takes a historic hot-spring hotel in Asama Onsen and turns it into something much broader than a place to sleep. The project combines two hotels, contemporary design, books, food, fermentation and public spaces with an explicit goal of helping revive the surrounding neighbourhood. Its older structures were reworked rather than erased, creating a layered mix of heritage and contemporary Japanese creativity.

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Shiguchi

Kutchan, Hokkaido, Japan From $1,367

Shiguchi transforms century-old Japanese farmhouses in Hokkaido into highly personal gallery stays. Each villa combines historic timber architecture with art, antiques and contemporary craft, turning accommodation into an encounter with Japanese material culture. The surrounding landscape adds another dimension, but it is the dialogue between old buildings, art and craftsmanship that makes the property especially distinctive.

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Bettei Otozure

Nagato, Yamaguchi Prefecture, Japan From $600

Bettei Otozure is an intimate contemporary ryokan in Nagato, surrounded by the mountains and river landscapes of Yamaguchi. Only 18 rooms keep the scale private, while onsen bathing and pared-back Japanese architecture create an atmosphere centred on quietness and privacy. The property has also been recognised by the Michelin Guide, reinforcing its position among Japan’s more discreet luxury ryokans.

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