The Land of the Rising Sun has many appealing hotels, from sprawling suites to pods you rent for just a few hours at a time.
The "best" hotel is ultimately one that matches your personal travel style. With this in mind, we have some suggestions to help you decide where to stay in Japan:
The upscale Hoshinoya Kyoto is a unique retreat at heart of the city - in the popular Arashiyama district of Kyoto. It exemplifies the modern version of the traditional Japanese aesthetics. The rooms are sleek, modern but minimal and the setting is wooded. A few walks away is the famous Arashiyama Bamboo Grove.
The stay at Hoshinoya Kyoto starts at the pier located near Togetsukyo Bridge, a popular sightseeing spot.
Guests can experience the nature and the "wabi sabi" culture of Kyoto here, a type of sensitivity towards elegance which is nurtured over time.
There are 25 rooms which include both tatami rooms and bedrooms.
2. Aman Tokyo
Aman Tokyo is a minimalist's dream. With sweeping views of the Imperial Palace and the Tokyo metropolis, the hotel occupies the 33rd to 38th floors of the Otemachi Towers.
The lobby on the 33rd floor was stunningly large, with the ceiling designed to resemble a shoji lantern thanks to the translucent washi rice paper design. To reinforce this deliberate charm, the lobby also comprises of a reflective water pond. Adding to that a bar and restaurant at one end and a library and cigar room at the other.
The Restaurant by Aman features Italian Veneto cuisines as well as local food.
Once you have experience all that the hotel has to offer, you can step out for a stroll into the Imperial Gardens.
Benesse House feels more gallery than hotel - with its minimal design, natural light and scattered contemporary artworks. One art installation is a tribute to the Japanese novelist Mishima Yukio.
It is filled with Soichiro Fukutake's spectacular private collection, the man behind the Benesse House.
There are 65 rooms across four buildings - called Museum, Park, Oval and Beach.
A subterranean museum to house five Monet waterlilies was built, together with two site specific works by American master of light sculpture James Turrell. This is the Chichu museum, with its famous lily pond - in homage to the fact that the painter had a Japanese gardener.
The design concept for this hotel is simple & modern, with all rooms located on the 19th floor and above. In the center of Shibuya, the Cerulean Tower is conveniently located near so many of Tokyo's "trendiest" neighborhoods, such as Naka-Meguro, Daikanyama, Aoyama, and Omotesando. Thus, it commands grandstand views.
Dining options are presided over by executive chef Nobuhiko Fukuda who was bestowed with an Order of Agricultural Merit by the French government in July 2018.
There are eight restaurants, a sky-high bar, an indoor pool and fitness center, and even a performing arts theater.
Have you had your hotel pick?
This article is copyrighted by Travelers Today, the travel news leader
