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
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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…
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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…
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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;…
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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…
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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 …
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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…
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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)…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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Nagano Region
This innovative, centrally located boutique property occupies what was a traditional inn. The new owners have created a space combining Japanese and…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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,…
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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…
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Nagano Region
Delightful, original, stylish and enchanting: all describe this gem in the heart of Obuse. Twelve rooms – huge by Japanese standards – beautifully…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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,…
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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…
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Central Honshū
Practically in its own forest uphill from the bus station, this sprawling onsen ryokan (traditional hot-spring inn) boasts 16 rotemburo (outdoor baths),…
