Japan’s Best Countryside Hotels That Easily Slide Into Any Itinerary

Have you had the feeling recently that everyone you know has been (or is about to go) to Japan? You’re not wrong. Last December there was an almost 30% increase in international visitors from the previous year, and the government predicts that the country will double its annual onslaught of tourists to 60 million arrivals by 2030.

If you plan to be among that number, you will quickly realize that there’s something of a standard itinerary for first-timers: Tokyo-Kyoto+1. A stay in hypermodern Tokyo followed by a visit to Kyoto’s Zen temples may not be groundbreaking, but there’s a reason both cities are on everyone’s list. They rank among the most compelling destinations on our planet.