5 Cool and Unusual Hotels To Book For Your Next Trip To Japan!
By now we can all agree that Japan is one of the most creative and innovative cities in the world. From animation to Japanese fashion to Japanese music, “ordinary” is a word that is probably non-existent within Japan’s dictionary. Let’s dive right in to the Top 5 Coolest Hotels in Japan!
5. Benesse House - Benesse Art Site Naoshima (Rooms start at $360/night)
Benesse Art Site Naoshima is an art project developed on the small islands of Naoshima, Teshima and Inujima. Among these islands, Naoshima — with a population about 3,000 residents — is a special place where people can enjoy Contemporary arts and architectural works in a splendid setting of ocean and mountain views, which has become a popular destination for international visitors.
Coexistence of nature, art, and architecture. | Source: Alpico
The main attraction of the Benesse House is its modern art museum, located on a hill overlooking the sea. This museum displays work created by many different artists from both Japan and abroad, that was inspired by the natural surroundings of Naoshima and the architecture on the island. Overnight guests staying at the Museum and Oval buildings can enjoy 24 hour access to the museum!
Source: Benesse House
Getting there - There are one or two buses per hour from Miyanoura Ferry Terminal via Honmura to the Tsutsujiso bus stop at the east gate of the Benesse House (10 minutes, 100 yen), where you can walk (10-15 minutes) or take a free shuttle bus to the Benesse House (5 minutes). Alternatively, the museum is about a three kilometre bicycle ride (15-25 minute) or walk (45-60 minutes) from the ferry terminal.
Address: Japan, 〒761-3110 Kagawa, Kagawa District, Naoshima, 琴弾地
Website: https://benesse-artsite.jp/en/stay/
4. Shiki Shima Train Suite (Rooms start at 2500USD/trip)
A real life “Snowpiercer” experience, the 10-car Shiki Shima Train by East Japan Railway Co. operates on two-day and four-day circular tours from spring to autumn, and on three-day tours during the winter period across Eastern Japan. The train only has 34 passengers on board at a given time.
Among its stops are five routes venturing through Kyoto, Matsue, the Sea of Japan, Izumo, Miyajima and the Nikko Toshogu shrine, part of a UNESCO World Heritage site in Tochigi Prefecture.
Source: JR East
Onboard Shiki Shima guarantees front-row seats a natural extravaganza in the observatory cars at the front and rear of the train. Peek through the glass walls and ceiling as you take in breathtaking views of the forests, fields and coastline throughout your journey.
Source: JR East
Website: https://www.jreast.co.jp/shiki-shima/en/
Review: https://theprivatetraveller.com/blog/train-review/shiki-shima
3. BnA STUDIO Akihabara – (Rooms start at $256/night)
BnA STUDIO is a hotel that connects art lovers to japanese artists. A second project by the BnA team, all BnA hotels promote a profit sharing system - each time a room is booked, BnA shares part of the revenue earned with artist who have produced art rooms, creating a system of continual income and exposure for the artists involved.
Artists receive a share of the profits from each room booking, a revenue share concept implemented across all BnA Hotels, with intent of empowering artists and local art communities.
Source: Forbes
Address: 6-3-3 Sotokanda, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo, Japan
Website: http://www.bna-akihabara.com/
2. Ice Hotel - Hoshino Resorts Tomamu (From $283/night)
A seasonal hotel that only operates during winter, the Ice Hotel has a seamless dome made from a single sheet of ice and is a quiet area where you can fully enjoy your stay. Guests can sleep warmly in a dome-shaped hotel made completely of ice! Inside the rooms, there are beds, chairs, and tables all created with ice. You can comfortably have a good night's sleep at bedtime by using their special sleeping bags which can handle temperatures 30°C below zero.
Source: Hoshino Resorts
Address: Nakatomamu, Shimukappu, Yufutsu District, Hokkaido 079-2204, Japan
Website: https://www.snowtomamu.jp/special/icevillage/en/
1. Henn na Hotel - Ginza (From $86/night)
Run almost entirely by machinery, Japan’s Henn na Hotel first opened in 2015 within Huis Ten Bosch theme park in Sasebo, Nagasaki. Designed to resemble the Netherlands, the park is a sort of Dutch Disneyland, with gardens, windmills and tea shops – and so far most hotel guests have been Japanese families visiting the park. The hotel itself is a beautifully designed modernist property, with tech additions such as aircon that adjusts to guests’ body temperature.
Their robot workforce includes the check-in receptionist (an android for guests who speak Japanese; a dinosaur for English-speakers) and the porter that helps guests with their luggage—in this case, an automated trolley.
Source: Uniq Hotels
Address: 6-5 Huis Ten Bosch Town, Sasebo City, Nagasaki Prefecture, Sasebo, Sasebo, Japan, 859-3292
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