Get to know the arrivals defining the hotel boom in Japan, starting with a boutique property right at the heart of the city’s newest hot spot
The Olympics may be postponed until 2021 but that’s no reason to pass up a trip to Japan (as and when your local government allows you to travel, of course). Consider it research for next year’s milestone event or a treat after months of being cooped up indoors.
It’s a particularly good time to explore the country given the host of new hotel openings coupled with a recent announcement from JR East that it’s cutting shinkansen ticket prices in half until next March. From independent hotels in Tokyo’s less trodden districts to luxury properties in key travel destinations, here are six places to call your home for the night.
See also: 7 Gorgeous Hotels Around The World To Dream About Now, And Book For Later
1. K5
Close to the elegant, cobblestone streets of Marunouchi is Kabuto-cho in Nihonbashi, a financial district home to the Tokyo Stock Exchange that is currently experiencing a creative renaissance. At the centre of its transformation is K5, a boutique hotel set in a 1920s former bank building, which opened its doors earlier this year.
Swedish design firm Claesson Koivisto Rune designed the Scandi-Japanese minimalist interiors as well as a trove of bespoke pieces, from the hotel’s seating down to its pencils. K5’s converted spaces feature an explosion of on-trend greenery and house a micro-complex of restaurants and bars, including a wine bar set in a library, a Chinese medicine-meets-mixology concept that serves natural cocktails and Caveman—the second restaurant of acclaimed Japanese chef Atsuki Kuroda of Kabi.