Design Hotels & Architectural Stays in Japan
Japan has produced some of the world's most influential architects — from Tadao Ando's concrete poetry to Kengo Kuma's organic timber structures. This tradition of architectural excellence extends to the country's most remarkable hotels and ryokan, where building and landscape become inseparable.
34 properties
The best design stays in Japan go far beyond aesthetic novelty. They are buildings that respond to their environment: walls that open entirely to forest views, bathrooms that merge with outdoor gardens, and structures that channel natural light and ventilation in ways that feel almost spiritual.
From brutalist concrete retreats on volcanic islands to delicate timber pavilions in bamboo groves, these architecturally significant properties reward travelers who appreciate the built environment as much as the natural one.
Ace Hotel Kyoto
Karasuma, Kyoto
hotel
Arcana Izu
Izu/Kawazu, Shizuoka
hotel
Atami Kaihoro
Atami, Shizuoka
hotel
Atami Sekaie
Atami, Shizuoka
hotel
Banyan Tree Higashiyama Kyoto
Kyoto Higashiyama, Kyoto
hotel
Bettei Otozure
Nagato Yumoto Onsen, Yamaguchi
ryokan
DenPaku MIJORA
Amami Oshima, Kagoshima
villa
Echigo Yuzawa Hatago Isen
Echigo Yuzawa, Niigata
ryokan
Hakone Geihinkan Rin-Poh-Ki-Ryu
Hakone, Kanagawa
ryokan
Hiiragiya Bekkan
Kyoto Nakagyo, Kyoto
ryokan
Hyakuna Garan
Nanjo, Okinawa
hotel
Kanran
Shikoku, Tokushima
hotel
Kinosaki Nishimuraya Annex Shogetsu
Kinosaki Onsen, Hyogo
hotel
KUMU Kanazawa
Kanazawa outskirts, Ishikawa
hotel
Migiwatei Ochi Kochi
Tomonoura, Hiroshima
ryokan
Minakami Onsen Bettei Senjuan
Minakami, Gunma
ryokan
Nakanojo Biennale Stay
Nakanojo/Shima, Gunma
villa
Nishimuraya Hotel Shogetsutei
Kinosaki Onsen, Hyogo
hotel
Ochiairo
Izu/Amagi, Shizuoka
ryokan
OF Hotel Sendai
Sendai outskirts, Miyagi
hotel
Osawa Onsen Sansuikaku
Hanamaki, Iwate
ryokan
Oyado Yamakyu
Takayama, Gifu
ryokan
Panorama Niseko
Niseko, Hokkaido
villa
Ryokan Genhouin
Kyoto Higashiyama, Kyoto
ryokan
Saga Hotel Washi no Mori
Ureshino Onsen, Saga
hotel
SANU 2nd Home Karuizawa
Karuizawa, Nagano
villa
SANU 2nd Home Yatsugatake
Yatsugatake, Yamanashi
villa
Satoyama Jujo
Minami Uonuma, Niigata
hotel
Shiguchi
Niseko, Hokkaido
ryokan
Shiroiya Hotel
Maebashi, Gunma
hotel
Shosenkaku Kagetsu
Echigo Yuzawa, Niigata
ryokan
Suiden Terrasse
Shonai Plain, Yamagata
hotel
Wisterian Life Club Awara
Awara Onsen, Fukui
hotel
Zaborin
Niseko/Hanazono, Hokkaido
ryokan