Hotels

A first-timer friendly guide to choosing where to stay in Osaka, comparing Namba, Umeda, Osaka Castle, and quieter alternatives by trip style.

A practical guide to the best areas to stay in Hakodate, including Hakodate Station, Motomachi and Bay Area, Goryokaku, and Yunokawa Onsen.

A practical guide to the best areas to stay in Kumamoto, from the castle and downtown arcades to Kumamoto Station and Suizenji Garden.

A practical guide to the best areas to stay in Sendai, including Sendai Station, Ichibancho, Kokubuncho, Jozenji-dori, and Akiu Onsen.

A practical guide to Kobe's best hotel areas, including Sannomiya, Motomachi, Harborland, Kitano, Shin-Kobe, and Arima Onsen.

A practical guide to the best areas to stay in Nara, including Nara Park, Kintetsu Nara, Naramachi, JR Nara, and Nishinokyo.

A practical guide to choosing where to stay in Takayama, including the station area, old town, morning market area, and quieter ryokan bases.

A practical guide to choosing where to stay near Mount Fuji, from convenient Kawaguchiko to quieter Fuji Five Lakes bases.

A practical family-focused guide to choosing where to stay in Tokyo with kids, comparing Ueno, Asakusa, Ginza, Shibuya, and quieter central areas.

A practical guide to choosing between Central Nikko, Lake Chuzenji, Okunikko, and Kinugawa Onsen for an overnight stay in Nikko.

A practical guide to choosing the best Hakone area to stay in, including Hakone-Yumoto, Gora, Lake Ashi, Sengokuhara, and Miyanoshita.

A practical guide to choosing where to stay in Okinawa based on transport, beaches, first-time visits, and island-hopping plans.

A practical guide to the best areas to stay in Yokohama, with simple advice for first-time visitors, families, transit convenience, and sightseeing.

A practical guide to choosing between Nagoya Station, Sakae, Fushimi, Osu, and Kanayama when booking a Nagoya hotel.

A practical guide to choosing between Sapporo Station, Odori, Susukino, Nakajima Park, and nearby alternatives for a Sapporo trip.

A practical guide to choosing between Kanazawa Station, Omicho Market, Korinbo/Katamachi, and the Kenrokuen/Higashi Chaya side of the city.

A practical guide to choosing between Hiroshima Station, Peace Memorial Park, Hondori, and Miyajima for a first Hiroshima trip.

A practical guide to choosing the best area to stay in Fukuoka based on transport, food, nightlife, and trip style.

Machiya townhouses offer a different kind of Kyoto stay — older, quieter, and closer to the city's texture than any hotel lobby will give you.

Not every ryokan in Kyoto earns its price tag. These five do — from historic machiya stays to mountain onsen retreats that will ruin hotels for you.

Both are classic Japan onsen destinations. They're not interchangeable. Here's what each actually offers and which one belongs in your trip.