Matsumoto & the Northern Japan Alps
Russ the Kiwi has everything covered in Donguri, high above Hakuba. The dorm rooms are tight, but communal lounge, kitchen and party rooms make this a top…
Must-see hotels in Central Honshū
Matsumoto & the Northern Japan Alps
This rambling resort with indoor and outdoor onsen at the end of a twisting valley road to nowhere will delight anyone seeking a peaceful retreat. The…
Central Honshū
They hardly come more traditional than this inn split over three buildings, the oldest of which is the riverside 1936 No 1 Annexe. Guests have 24-hour use…
Central Honshū
Yarimikan is a wonderfully traditional onsen ryokan (hot-spring inn) on the Kamata-gawa, with two indoor baths, eight riverside rotemburo (outdoor baths;…
Central Honshū
Opposite Fukuji-Onsen-shimo bus stop, the entrance to Yumoto Chōza is reached by a rustic covered walkway, as if to take you back in time. Bold, dark…
Central Honshū
Remote, rustic and supremely photogenic, this lodging is one of Japan's finest onsen ryokan, with a stunning 1896 wooden bathhouse. From Gokan Station …
Matsumoto & the Northern Japan Alps
This compact, family-run establishment extends the feeling of family to its guests and welcomes visitors from around the world. Beautifully designed and…
Kanazawa & the Hokuriku Coast
Remote Lamp no Yado is a place all its own: a 13-room wooden village beneath a cliff (busy with tour buses, a snack hall and a vast asphalt parking lot)…
Nagano Region
Six generations of the Suzuki family have maintained this traditional inn just inside Zenkō-ji's Niō-mon gate. Look for the statue of Enmei Jizō and the…
Tsumago
The owner of this unpretentious, welcoming inn speaks some English, Italian and Spanish. It's a great place to have your first ryokan experience, as most…
Matsumoto & the Northern Japan Alps
Awanoyu Ryokan typifies mountain onsen ryokan (hot-spring inns). Uphill from Shirahone, it has been an inn since 1912 (the current building dates from…
Matsumoto & the Northern Japan Alps
Sophisticated, sexy and stylish, this stunning property has it all, year-round: location, amenities, views. Room types range from the sublime (Western…
Kanazawa
Ecofriendly, communal, arty, funky – it's hard to tell what's hip and what's hype. Either way, this brilliantly located guesthouse will suit those who don…
Worldtrek Diner & Guesthouse Pise
Nagano Region
There's lots going on here on the main road up to Zenkō-ji, with mixed and female-only dorms, twin and family rooms, a super-cool cafe and a bar with a…
Nagano Region
About 10km north of Karuizawa Station, deep in the forest (there's a free shuttle bus!), this beautifully designed hotel blends gracefully into its…
Central Honshū
In business for more than 220 years, this charming, family-run ryokan is one of a kind. With only two guest rooms, Echigo-ya provides an opportunity to…
Nagano Region
This innovative, centrally located boutique property occupies what was a traditional inn. The new owners have created a space combining Japanese and…
Matsumoto & the Northern Japan Alps
Eric and Fumi's place is an extremely friendly spot to stay, away from the rush of resort-town Hakuba and north of most of the in-town action, near the…
Takayama
The kind owners of this delightfully antiquey inn, set in a Meiji-era merchant's house, have been welcoming guests from abroad for years. Some rooms have…
Matsumoto & the Northern Japan Alps
This marvellously secluded place is in a wooded dell 7km northeast of Kappa-bashi. It's both a campground (¥700 per person) and a lodge, and has capsule…
Earthworks Guesthouse & Gallery
Nagano Region
Run by Roberto and Rumi in a renovated old farmhouse behind their sensational Earthworks Gallery, this is a wonderful place to stay if you don't mind a…
Matsumoto
It's hard to fault this impressive hotel, occupying a prime spot near the castle. Reasonably priced rooms are refreshingly stylish and comfortable. Deluxe…
Matsumoto
Few inns have more heart than this simple, traditional charmer, meticulously kept by its friendly owner. The spotless lodgings have shiny dark-wood floors…
Kanazawa & the Hokuriku Coast
This opulent ryokan along the scenic Kakusenkei Gorge has only 10 rooms, centred on a delicate garden courtyard. Some rooms have views over the gorge and…
Matsumoto & the Northern Japan Alps
This friendly lodge, west of Kappa-bashi, dates from the early 20th century. The main-building rooms are a mix of Japanese and Western styles. The dorm…
Nagano Region
On Chūō-dōri a few blocks south of Zenkō-ji, this ryokan has been in the family for 130 years and offers a friendly welcome to foreigners. The rustic,…
Takayama
You'll be impressed by the friendly, professional staff at this wonderful hybrid of a boutique hotel and a traditional ryokan, whose all-tatami rooms are…
Nagano Region
Delightful, original, stylish and enchanting: all describe this gem in the heart of Obuse. Twelve rooms – huge by Japanese standards – beautifully…
Nagano Region
This wonderful ryokan, the oldest in town, has a wide range of inviting traditional room types, many with private bathrooms and great views. The communal…
Nagano Region
In a great spot in front of the Ichinose bus stop, and with English-speaking staff and a friendly atmosphere, this inn is popular with overseas guests…
Nagano Region
As the name suggests, these fully self-contained cabins, in a forested setting five minutes' walk from Naka-Karuizawa Station, have rustic appeal. This is…
Magome
This popular minshuku (guesthouse) is almost halfway up the hill, just before the Tourist Information Office. Room-only plans are available and English is…
Matsumoto
Between Nakamachi and the river, this creaky wooden ryokan dates from 1868 and has lots of traditional charm, including a bamboo garden and a coffee shop…
Kanazawa
Located on the prettiest street in the picturesque Higashi-chaya district, this 200-year-old geisha teahouse has only three rooms and features a…
Kanazawa
Although more expensive than some of Japan's most lauded onsen ryokan (traditional hot-spring inns), and without the views and outdoor baths, Asadaya's…
Nagano Region
This beautiful, sprawling campground a few kilometres from Okusha has its own babbling brook, 350 campsites, 30 bungalows, 33 cabins and six self…
Takayama
For a ryokan experience in a business-hotel setting, choose the contemporary elegance of the executive rooms in the Kachoan wing (from ¥25,000 per person…
Kanazawa & the Hokuriku Coast
The friendly staff at this award-winning, gorgeously minimalist ryokan are committed to upholding the Japanese art of hospitality. A sense of Zen pervades…
Matsumoto & the Northern Japan Alps
In a lovely forested setting, this attractive modern ryokan is an oasis at the foot of the mountains in Hotaka Onsen. Although little English is spoken,…
Takayama
This elevated hotel on the immediate outskirts of downtown has wonderful views from all rooms and delightful communal bathing areas. Rooms in the main…
