The luxury Japan travel guide

Japan has overtaken Italy as the #1 luxury destination for Australians in 2026. The reflexive booking is still Tokyo-then-Kyoto for seven nights, but the trip that actually justifies the flight is longer, quieter and mor

How to choose

If you want First Japan trip: look for Tokyo + Kyoto with one ryokan night in between. Avoid Trying to fit Osaka, Hiroshima and Hokkaido into 10 nights. Best stay style: Design hotel + traditional ryokan.

If you want Honeymoon: look for Aman or Six Senses in Kyoto, private ryokan with in-room onsen. Avoid Peak cherry-blossom Kyoto with tour groups. Best stay style: Kyoto ryokan + Tokyo design finish.

If you want Design-led: look for Aman Tokyo, Bulgari Tokyo, Janu Tokyo, Ace Kyoto. Avoid Chain business hotels traded up as 'luxury'. Best stay style: Architect-signed city hotel.

If you want Traditional immersion: look for Historic ryokan with resident tea master and kaiseki menu. Avoid Modern hotels dressed with tatami mats. Best stay style: Kyoto or Hakone ryokan.

If you want Wellness + nature: look for Amanemu (Ise-Shima) or Hoshinoya Karuizawa — onsen-fed hot springs. Avoid City-only itineraries with no onsen night. Best stay style: Onsen ryokan or Aman resort.

The shortlist

Aman Kyoto — best for Kyoto honeymoon. 26 pavilion-style rooms in a secret forest garden north of the city — the calmest luxury address in Kyoto and the strongest fit for a honeymoon that doesn't want tour buses. Avoid if You want to walk to Gion each night.. Budget: A$3,500–A$6,000 / night.

Aman Tokyo — best for Design-led Tokyo base. Kerry Hill's tower of washi paper and volcanic stone above Otemachi — the quietest luxury hotel in central Tokyo with the city's most restrained arrival. Avoid if You want Shibuya or Ginza on your doorstep.. Budget: A$2,500–A$5,500 / night.

Bulgari Hotel Tokyo — best for Ginza-adjacent glamour. Top eight floors of the Yaesu tower above Tokyo Station — Antonio Citterio interiors, the Bulgari spa, and Il Ristorante by Niko Romito. Avoid if You prefer the calm of Otemachi to the buzz of Ginza.. Budget: A$2,800–A$6,500 / night.

Hoshinoya Kyoto — best for Traditional immersion. Boat-access ryokan on the Oi River in Arashiyama — 25 rooms in restored merchants' houses, resident tea master and kaiseki dining. Avoid if You need to be walking distance to central Kyoto.. Budget: A$1,800–A$3,500 / night.

Amanemu, Ise-Shima — best for Onsen + wellness. 24 suites and 4 villas above Ago Bay — private mineral-spring onsen in every room, the strongest wellness programme of any Aman in Japan. Avoid if You want city access — Amanemu is deliberately remote.. Budget: A$3,000–A$6,500 / night.

The Ritz-Carlton, Kyoto — best for First Kyoto luxury stay. Kamogawa River setting with 134 rooms — the most polished big-brand base in Kyoto, with walking access to Gion and the Higashiyama temples. Avoid if You want a boutique, ryokan-scale feel.. Budget: A$2,000–A$4,500 / night.

Hoshinoya Karuizawa — best for Onsen escape from Tokyo. 77 pavilion rooms along a mountain stream 70 minutes from Tokyo by Shinkansen — the classic urban-luxury onsen pairing. Avoid if You want a shorter transfer or ryokan-scale intimacy.. Budget: A$1,600–A$3,200 / night.

Janu Tokyo — best for New-generation Tokyo design. Aman's sister brand — 122 rooms in Azabudai Hills with a 4,000sqm wellness floor, seven restaurants and Tokyo's most ambitious new hotel opening since Aman itself. Avoid if You want the compact intimacy of a small ryokan.. Budget: A$1,800–A$4,500 / night.

Areas

Tokyo — Otemachi & Marunouchi — Aman/Four Seasons calm, walking distance to Ginza, best JR access.

Tokyo — Ginza & Azabudai — Bulgari and Janu — for travellers who want the design capital at its most polished.

Kyoto — Higashiyama & Gion — Ritz-Carlton and Park Hyatt guests wanting walking access to the temples.

Kyoto — Arashiyama & north Kyoto — Aman Kyoto and Hoshinoya — quieter, more atmospheric, better for honeymoons.

Hakone — Classic onsen night 90 minutes from Tokyo — Gora Kadan and other historic ryokan.

Ise-Shima & Setouchi — Amanemu, Setouchi Retreat and yacht travellers wanting Japan beyond the Kyoto-Tokyo axis.

Watch-outs

Cherry blossom weeks (late March–early April) and autumn foliage (mid-November) command 50–100% premiums and sell out 9+ months out.

Kyoto during peak seasons is genuinely overcrowded — Aman Kyoto and north-Kyoto ryokan are the antidotes.

Ryokan pricing is per person, not per room, and almost always includes kaiseki dinner and breakfast — factor that when comparing to city hotels.

Some traditional ryokan still decline tattoo-visible guests at communal onsen — check policies if relevant.

Japan's luxury dining reserves 30–90 days out; the best sushi and kaiseki restaurants close to walk-ins are not booked ad-hoc.

Shinkansen luggage rules changed in 2023 — oversized bags need reserved seats. Use luggage-forwarding (takuhaibin) between hotels.

Suggested itineraries

7 nights — 3 nights Tokyo (Aman/Bulgari) + 1 night Hakone ryokan + 3 nights Kyoto (Aman Kyoto or Ritz-Carlton). The proven first-timer format.

10 nights — 3 nights Tokyo + 2 nights Hakone + 3 nights Kyoto + 2 nights Ise-Shima at Amanemu. The honeymoon shape.

12 nights — Add Kanazawa or Naoshima (Setouchi art islands) between Kyoto and the return to Tokyo.

14 nights — Add Hokkaido (Niseko for ski Dec–Mar, or Furano/lavender in July) or Okinawa's Iriomote for the beach finish.

FAQs

When is the best time to visit Japan?

Late March to early April for cherry blossom, mid-November for autumn foliage. May and October are the quiet-luxury sweet spots — good weather, fewer crowds, better availability.

Ryokan or luxury hotel?

Both — the ideal Japan trip includes at least one ryokan night. Aman Kyoto and Hoshinoya are the modern-luxury bridge; Tawaraya and Gora Kadan are the historic classics.

How many days in Tokyo vs Kyoto?

3–4 nights each on a first trip. Tokyo rewards more nights the second time; Kyoto rewards a longer, calmer stay if you pick the right neighbourhood.

Is Japan good for honeymoons?

Increasingly the top pick — Aman Kyoto, Amanemu and Hoshinoya Kyoto lead. The under-cited angle is the private-onsen ryokan format, which delivers a seclusion most beach destinations can't match.

How do we book luxury dining?

Concierge at Aman, Bulgari and Ritz-Carlton will book 30–60 days out. Independent bookings for three-star sushi and kaiseki need a Japanese-speaking intermediary or an agency like Voyagin.

Do we need a Japan Rail Pass?

For a 7–10 night trip covering Tokyo–Kyoto–Hakone the standard JR Pass is worth it. Green Car (first class) is the upgrade to book for luxury travellers.

How much should we budget?

A luxury week runs A$18,000–A$35,000 for two including flights. Aman-anchored trips move past A$45,000; add A$5,000–A$10,000 for peak sakura or koyo weeks.

Is Japan expensive right now?

The weak yen has made luxury Japan meaningfully better value than 2019 — even after rate rises, headline luxury pricing is 15–25% cheaper for AUD-holders than pre-2020.