Japan
A country where travelling alone is completely unremarkable — solo counters in restaurants, single rooms as standard, and trains that leave to the second. Tokyo for the noise, Kyoto for the quie
Where to stay
Onyado Nono Asakusa Natural Hot Springs
Tokyo · Asakusa · near Sensoji Temple
A natural hot spring in Asakusa, with free ramen at midnight.
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One hundred and fifty-two rooms in Asakusa, near Sensoji Temple and within sight of the Skytree. There's an indoor mineral onsen, two hot springs and a sauna with both indoor and open-air baths. Complimentary late-night ramen and ice cream after your bath, a Japanese breakfast buffet, and a self-serve laundromat. Asakusa is the older, quieter side of Tokyo and a gentle place to land after a long flight.
152 rooms in Asakusa, near Sensoji Temple
Indoor mineral onsen, two hot springs and a sauna
Complimentary late-night ramen and post-bath ice cream
Japanese breakfast buffet
Self-serve laundromat
Suiran, A Luxury Collection Hotel, Kyoto
Kyoto · Arashiyama · by the Katsura River
A private open-air onsen on your own balcony.
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In Arashiyama beside the Katsura River, minutes from the Togetsukyo Bridge, Tenryu-ji Temple and the bamboo grove. Some rooms have private open-air onsen baths on the balcony with temperature control, which is the single best thing you can do for yourself after a day of walking Kyoto. There's a Japanese garden, a full spa, the KyoSuiran restaurant, a 24-hour gym and free pick-up from the station.
Private open-air onsen baths on room balconies
Arashiyama, beside the Katsura River
Walk to Togetsukyo Bridge, Tenryu-ji and the bamboo grove
Japanese garden and full-service spa
KyoSuiran restaurant and free station pick-up
Park Hotel Tokyo
Tokyo · near Hamarikyu Gardens and Ginza
An art gallery you happen to sleep in.
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Two hundred and sixty-eight rooms near Hamarikyu Gardens, Ginza Six and the Kabuki-za theatre, with an art gallery on site and city views from the upper floors. Three restaurants, a full spa, a café and a bar, and deep soaking tubs in the rooms. It rates 9.4 across more than 1,500 reviews, which at that volume is unusually consistent.
268 rooms near Hamarikyu Gardens and Ginza
Art gallery on site
Three restaurants, bar and café
Full-service spa
Deep soaking tubs and city views
10 Bucket List things in Japan
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The best places to stay in Japan
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Japan has 27 UNESCO World Heritage sites — 22 cultural and five natural.
The maglev has reached 603 km/h on a test run, making it the fastest train in the world.
You can share a hot spring with snow monkeys in Nagano.
Most Japanese ATMs don't take foreign cards — but 7-Eleven and Japan Post machines do, and they're everywhere.
An IC card (Suica or Pasmo) works on almost every train, bus and convenience store in the country.
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Best time — late March into early April for cherry blossom, and November for autumn colour — both spectacular, both busy and expensive. May and October are the quiet sweet spots. Avoid Golden Week, late April into early May, and mid-August.
Getting around — The shinkansen is fast, punctual and worth reserving. Do the maths on a Japan Rail Pass before buying — since the 2023 price rise it often doesn't pay for itself unless you're covering serious distance. In cities, an IC card is all you need.
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Japan may be the easiest country in the world to travel alone. Solo dining is completely normal — many restaurants have counter seats built for one, and ramen shops use ticket machines so you barely need to speak. Business hotels sell single rooms as standard rather than charging a supplement for being on your own. Convenience stores are genuinely good and open all night. Two practical notes: carry some cash, because small restaurants and shrines are still cash-only; and tattoos can bar you from some onsen, so check ahead or choose somewhere with private baths.
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