Where to stay in Japan

What are hotels in Japan like?

At the top end of the spectrum, the Conrad or Aman are two of our favourite hotels in Tokyo. Although expensive, both are wonderfully luxurious places to be based. Design here is superb, with extraordinary attention to detail.

In the mid-range category, the Blossom Shinjuku is ideal. It’s a fairly standard international-style hotel, but it’s in a perfect location in the middle of central Tokyo.

One thing to remember with hotels in Japan is that the room sizes tend to be extremely small. This means that there is usually no room for an extra bed. However, some hotels have interconnecting rooms, so that children can be accommodated through a connecting door.

Many visitors are keen to spend a night in a ryokan. This is a traditional Japanese inn and we will include a ryokan stay on most itineraries. However, one or two nights is usually enough. The breakfasts that are provided are traditional Japanese, which doesn’t always suit fussier children. Also, many people don’t want to spend more than a night or two sleeping on a tatami mat. However, if it is of particular interest to you we can include more nights in ryokan.

One of our favourite ryokan is the Daikichi, in the small picturesque town of Tsumago. All of the rooms are furnished with traditional tatami mats and delicious Japanese food is served both for dinner and breakfast.

At the other end of the ryokan spectrum is the famous Tawaraya in Kyoto. Regularly topping lists of ‘the best hotel in Japan’ this hotel is small but perfectly formed. When you first pass through the doors the special ‘shoe-man’ will help you take your shoes off your large western feet and will then clean and freshen them. You will be shown to your beautifully decorated room where you will be served exquisite Japanese food. When you have finished you can retreat to your small private cedar wood hot tub and admire your private zen garden. Bliss!

As you might expect, this is perhaps not the place for younger rambunctious children, but for families with teenagers who want a glimpse of traditional life in Japan, it is hard to beat.

These suggestions of where to stay in Japan are just examples of what to expect. Once we begin to plan your trip we will be able to suggest hotels that will suit your family’s tastes and budget. Simply ring for a chat or email us.