High and Low

From up in Hokkaido to down in Okinawa we’re calling out some of Japan’s delightful and highly detailed small hotels. This is part one, starting in the south.

It’s always such a pleasure to talk about Japanese hotels, especially this time of year, as spring begins and sakura, the country’s famous cherry blossoms, begin to appear. They first bloom in the south in the Okinawan islands, sometimes starting as early as January. Then, by mid-May, the flowers finally come alive all the way up north in the island of Hokkaido. It’s a span that stretches the same approximate distance as the Florida Keys to the northern border of Maine.

That’s the path we’re following for this two-part series taking a look at Japan’s plethora of small inns, hotels, and, for sure, ryokans. Part 1 starts in the south and southern central regions. Stay tuned in the coming weeks for part 2, which will cover the northern prefectures. In both lists you’ll see Japan’s famous-to-the-point-of-cliché enthusiasm for detail, subtlety, and craftsmanship — skills that can be put on more proud display when executed on a smaller scale, as they are at these properties.

See our entire selection of hotels in Japan.

Emil Nakijin

Shoshi, Japan

Perched on a cliff overlooking the East China Sea, its rectangular white façade standing out in stark relief against the blue sky, Emil Nakijin is an ultra-modern boutique hotel with just five suites. They’re lined up in a row facing the ocean, with bright interiors that are nearly identical — minimalist and all-white — with nothing to distract from the spectacular surrounding landscape.

Yawn Yard

Kouri, Japan

There’s a disproportionate number of lodging options on tiny Kouri Island — understandable, given its gorgeous natural scenery and quiet beaches on the emerald-green sea. The architecturally striking Yawn Yard, set on a forested hill overlooking the water, is among the best. This boutique hotel occupies a series of angular blonde-wood villas, all featuring private outdoor spaces with dining areas.

Hotel Keyforest Hokuto

Hokuto, Japan

There’s only one museum in the world dedicated to the work of the American artist Keith Haring, and it’s not in New York. The acclaimed Japanese architect Atsushi Kitagawara designed the Nakamura Keith Haring Collection and the adjacent Hotel Keyforest Hokuto, both part of a larger art-themed resort. This boutique hotel is visually striking, its modernist silhouette and sharp angles standing out in contrast with the surrounding forest.

Yoshida Sanso

Kyoto, Japan

Walk past an imposing gate on an unassuming street and you’re suddenly surrounded by a sublime hush as you enter Yoshida Sanso’s historic main building. Built in 1932 for a member of the Japanese imperial family, the inn looks illustriously traditional at first glance, yet reveals restrained hints of modernism, such as the stained glass windows. All guestrooms in the main building come with a view of the expertly tended garden.

Bed and Craft

Nanto, Japan

Bed and Craft provides the opportunity to not only stay in Nanto — a city with a proud heritage of woodworking — but to take up woodcarving. A collection of six historic buildings, from carpenter’s shop to restaurant, provide a place to rest and relax in a traditional Japanese environment. Guests are urged to embrace the opportunity to try their hands at carving their own keepsakes from a memorable getaway.

Hakone Geihinkan Rin-Poh-Ki-Ryu

Hakone, Japan

There’s a Ghibli-esque tranquility to the Hakone Geihinkan Rin-Poh-Ki-Ryu hotel. One arrives by cable car down steep, forested hillsides to its peaceful valley villas, lulled by the murmuring of the Hayakawa river. There are nine of them, each a strikingly original play on age-old Japanese materials like kumiko wood detailing, delicate paper screens, and gleaming lacquer. Some villas offer attached sauna and open-air hot springs.

Kifune Ugenta

Kibune, Japan

It’s fair to say Ugenta, a two-room, 200-year-old ryokan in the mountain woods just outside Kyoto, isn’t exactly designed to maximize profits. Put it this way: they’ve got as many teahouses as they have guest rooms, one built a century ago by the current owner’s grandfather for formal tea ceremonies, and a newer, glass-walled one surrounded by a cedar grove for casual sipping.

Kiya Ryokan

Uwajima, Japan

Founded in 1911 in the sleepy city of Uwajima, Kiya has a long history of hosting Japanese literary figures, and more to the point for guests who don’t happen to be Japanese literary figures, it’s fresh off a very thorough restoration. The result is a clean, pared-down design, with traditional elements and modern details coexisting in a matter-of-fact way.

Ryokan Kurashiki

Kurashiki, Japan

In Ryokan Kurashiki’s case, what most sets it apart is a location not in some tranquil middle of nowhere, but right in the heart of the historic merchant’s quarter of the city of Kurashiki. It’s the rare ryokan whose ability to transport guests back in time extends beyond its walls, helped along by the beautifully preserved 17th-century architecture of the neighborhood just beyond.

Gajoen

Kirishima, Japan

The forested mountains of Kagoshima Prefecture, by the side of the Amorigawa River, are the setting for the exquisitely traditional and uncommonly tranquil Gaojen. Here thatched roofs disappear into the forest canopy, and the sound of the river finds echoes in the inn’s carved-stone onsen baths. These rooms were the first in Japan to feature private onsen baths, either on wooden terraces or in semi-open spaces.

Simose Art Garden Villa

Kuba, Japan

Between the mountains and the sea in Otake City, Hiroshima Prefecture, the futuristic complex that contains Simose Art Garden Villa was designed by the Pritzker winner Shigeru Ban and features a modern art museum, not one but ten villas, and a restaurant. Each villa is one of a kind, and some take inspiration from Japanese architectural landmarks.

Not a Hotel Fukuoka

Fukuoka, Japan

Not a Hotel Fukuoka is a dynamic sequence of short-term residences, just eight in total, but also a series of vertical gardens and multi-use lifestyle hubs. The architects built it to transcend the divide between organic greenery and bold materials thinking. The “rooms” are enormous, each equipped with oversize windows, statement furnishings, and lighting that’s somehow both functional and experimental.

Yado Shiontei

Yonago, Japan

Yado Shiontei is just inland from the beach on Miho Bay in Yonago, Japan, an area renowned for high-quality timber and hot springs. Both are in evidence throughout the property, which blends traditionalism with sleek sustainability. There’s a lovely courtyard garden, an exquisite tea room, an art gallery dedicated to white porcelain, and a spa that can be privately rented with champagne service.

Taniya

Fukuoka, Japan

Staying overnight at Taniya, located in the historic castle town of Takayama, is akin to sleeping at Fallingwater or another architectural landmark. Positioned beside the Kusakabe Family Residence, an old merchant’s house designated an Important Cultural Property, this century-old two-room inn is an extension of its notable neighbor, both showcasing ancient Japanese techniques carried out by local craftsmen.