"Occupying the top nine floors of the Cesar Pelli–designed Nihonbashi Mitsui Tower, the Mandarin Oriental was designed to evoke Japan’s relationship with nature. The property itself resembles a tree, with its entrance at the bottom of the tower representing the base; on the top floor, fabrics and carpets suggest leaves and branches, creating the feeling of a forest canopy. A water wall in the lobby symbolizes the many cataracts that cascade from the country’s mountains, while elevator interiors mimic falling rain. Rooms maintain an aura of serenity and build on the existing “Woods and Water” design theme with fabrics and furnishings representing the woodlands and changing seasons. Head to the spa and indulge in the signature “Totally Tokyo” treatment, which uses pine, bamboo, plum, green tea, and rice hulls to stimulate the senses and restore a sense of clarity, thenchoose between French, Cantonese, and Italian restaurants with views of Mount Fuji to the west, Tokyo Skytree and the Sumida River to the east, and Tokyo Bay to the south. Prefer to take your meal to go? Make a pit-stop at the hotel’s ground-level gourmet shop on your way to see the sights."

"The first true city property for the minimalist luxury brand, this 84-room hotel sits within the top six floors of the Otemachi Tower. A mix of traditional materials like camphor wood, washi paper, and stone create a Zen experience, not least in the atrium-like lobby, where a 100-foot architectural elementclimbs through the heart of the building to evoke the interior of a paper lantern. At its base sits a tranquil inner garden, though its serenity is rivaled in the slate-clad spa and ryokan-style rooms. All accommodations come with a large furo , the deep-soaking tub that is a key component of the Japanese bathing ritual, and offer panoramic views, including those of Mount Fuji and the Imperial Palace Gardens. The Resident’s Library is lined with books on Japanese art and culture, but if your prefer a little more action, don’t miss cocktail hour in the lounge, a sleek space for indulging in yuzu-infused drinks with chocolate pairings by the hotel’s award-winning pastry chef."

"A collaboration between New York interior designer Tony Chi and Tokyo -based Shinichiro Ogata, this sleek Andaz property incorporates natural materials like washi paper and walnut wood high atop the multiuse business and lifestyle Toranomon Hills building.Rooms come with skyline views deep soaking tubs, and black-and-white closets and cabinets that recall the sketches of Piet Mondrian, but you won’t be cooped up for long. Snag a seat at the eight-person sushi bar, or dine on grilled snow-aged beef (that is, steaks aged in a natural yukimuro refrigerator of the white stuff) at the Tavant Grill, then end your evening with tea-infused cocktails at the rooftop bar."

"In the ARK Hills development at the intersection of the Akasaka, Roppongi, and Kasumigaseki districts (hence the name ARK), this 37-story tower is geared toward business travelers, but there’s plenty to keep leisure vacationers entertained. Interiors meld clean, simple design with touches of glam—contemporary rooms come in soothing creams and browns with brass accents; those on the upper floors impress with picture windows overlooking Mount Fuji. Guests have their choice of seven restaurants, including three offering traditional Japanese fare from sushi to teppanyaki and one helmed by Michelin-darling French chef Pierre Gagnaire, but there’s also a library, bar, open-air swimming pool, and spa for those who overwhelmed by Tokyo’s dizzying streets. Visitors pressed for time can book an executive helicopter flight service to Narita, departing next to the hotel with a flight time of 12 minutes."

"Located in Shibuya City, aka the Silicon Valley of Tokyo , Cerulean Tower Tokyu Hotel is a laid-back lodging close to Meiji Jingu Shrine and Tokyo Tower. Western and Japanese aesthetics mix in simple, unfussy guest rooms with calming colors and marble bathrooms; some have unobstructed views of Mount Fuji in the distance. You can find your moment of Zen in the stone garden in front of the lobby, the handiwork of celebrated landscape architect ShunmyoMasuno, or at the indoor pool. Quirky amenities include a traditional Noh theater and perhaps the only in-hotel dental salon, in case you need a touch-up teeth whitening."

"Tokyo’s first design hotel, Claska is a fitting choice for creative types. Not only is it located on a street known for its second-hand furniture stores, its 20 individually decorated rooms—allmasterminded by architect Tei Shuwa, who also designs furniture and home appliances—fall into four categories: midcentury-style Modern, traditional Tatami, minimalist Contemporary, and Story, which feature ever-evolving aesthetics carried out in collaboration with Japanese artists and designers. French-influenced dishes take centerstage in the ground-floor restaurant, and the hotel has a shop for Japanese artisanal home products and a gallery with monthly exhibits, as well as a dog-grooming salon and a fleet of custom Tokyo bikes for exploring the cafés of the nearby Nakameguro neighborhood."

"Arguably one of the city’s most elegant stays, the Conrad sits on floors 28 through 37 of the Tokyo Shiodome Building and reflects contemporary Japanese design, not least in the wood-and-brass lobby, where a bright-red abstract sculpture welcomes guests. Modern pieces appear throughout the property, the work of 23 Japanese artists, yet classical Japanese brush paintings also have a place. Each high-ceilinged guest room features headboards embellished with cherry blossom motifs, as well as freestanding tubs and expansive windows with views of the Ginza district or Tokyo Bay and the Hamarikyu Gardens. Though the hotel is convenient to most major sites—it is within walking distance ofShiodome Station and connected to Shimbashi Station—there’s plenty to keep you on site, from the traditional Chinese cuisine at Michelin-starred China Blue to the Japanese cypress hinoki bath tub at the 29th-floor Mizuki Spa."

"Despite its address in the bustling heart of Tokyo, Hotel Chinzanso feels like a remote retreat thanks to its location in a 17-acre oasis with historic pagodas, 1,000 camellia trees, and 120 cherry trees; even the locals take refuge in the garden’s leafy paths. Though the spacious Western-style rooms offer every kind of modern amenity, from free WiFi and 24-hour room service to babysitting services and a custom pillow menu, the hotel honors traditional Japanese design with Arita ceramics, n ishijin-ori throws, and ukiyo-e woodblock prints, as well as customs such as tea ceremonies and kimono fittings. There are nine dining options but the best one is Mokushundo,where classic dishes are prepared on hot rocks sourced from Mount Fuji andkaiseki-style in iron kettles."

"With just 57 rooms, the smallest Four Seasons in the world offers outsize luxury on arrival. Guests approaching by rail at nearby Tokyo Station—the terminal for Shinkansen, Narita Express, and all major bullet trains—can expect a memorable welcome: staff greet visitors on the platform and personally escort them to the property, on seven floors of the 31-story Pacific Century Place Marunouchi Tower. Rooms are outfitted in the modern, minimalist decor the brand is known for and mix wood, stone, and contemporary features like 3-D televisions and floor-to-ceiling windows. Head to MOTIF for French-Japanese fusion cuisine overlooking the city’s neon skyscrapers. If you prefer one-of-a-kind experiences, soak in the spa’s traditional onsen bath, hop on a chef-led tour of the Tsukiji Fish Market at dawn, or make your own piece of Japanese lacquer art in nearby Ginza."

"As locations go, the Asakusa entertainment district’s Gate Hotel couldn’t be better situated. Just a few steps from the historic Kaminarimon (Thunder Gate) of Sensoji, the oldest Buddhist temple in Tokyo , the hotel is also only a ten-minute drive to Tokyo Skytree, Japan’s one-time tallest building visible from the restaurant’s floor-to-ceiling windows. But there are plenty of places on site to train your eye: The property’s architecture and interiors center on art and clean design, as seen in the lobby, where an abstract lighting installation mimics the curves of a sinuous leather banquette, and in the guest rooms, which feature dark upholstered walls that offer a dramatic backdrop to brightly colored contemporary paintings."

"Opened in 1890 as an unofficial state guesthouse, the country’s first Western-style property built for the aristocracy to welcome an increasing number of foreigners, the Imperial Hotel has had a momentous history. Ravaged by a fire in 1922, it was rebuilt in 1923 by Frank Lloyd Wright in Maya-Revival style, though it fell into disrepair over the decades and was demolished in 1967. The blocky current version comprises a main building and a tower that together house 931 rooms, but the interiors stick to the property’s past with leather headboards and velvet-covered furnishings. The hotel boasts the largest executive center in Japan, but more leisurely activities await in the 20th-floor swimming pool and sauna, in the fully equipped music room (complete with Steinway piano), and in 11 restaurants that range from upscale French and traditional Japanese cuisines to snack-worthy sushi and confections."

"Anchoring a $1.2 billion mixed-use development, the 23-story Palace Hotel sits opposite the ancient Otemon Gate of Edo Castle and was designed to juxtapose tranquil green space and vibrant concrete jungle, with all guestrooms featuring views of the Imperial Palace’s gardens and moats; most have open-style bathrooms, while more than half feature terraces and balconies, a rarity in Tokyo. Natural motifs—from the leaf-shaped counter and shadowy outlines of trees on the walls of Bar Lounge Privé to the hand-tufted, mossy-hued carpets in the lobby—reinforce the link to the outdoors. The hotel’s artwork brings to light the work of Japanese contemporary artists, with about 1,000 paintings and watercolor, glass, metal, and other pieces on display."

"If you’re looking for a chic lodging with personality to spare, Park Hotel is it. Designed under the concept of ART—atrium, restaurant, travel—it occupies 10 levels of the triangular Shiodome Media Tower and pays homage to Japan’s natural beauty with a glass-enclosed courtyard (purported to be the largest hotel atrium in Tokyo ) and trees and greenery dotting the spaces between the building’s 25th and 34th floors. An artist-in-residence program ensures that every room on the 31 st floor features unique murals and paintings by local creatives, while more conventional rooms come in light, neutral tones, but all are furnished with stylish pieces by B&B Italia. The hotel also houses a wood-paneled spa, an art gallery, and a kaiseki-style Japanese restaurant and casual French bistro where the dishes are pieces of art in and of themselves."

"Immortalized on celluloid in the film Lost in Translation , the modernist Park Hyatt may have the sexiest cocktail bar in all of Tokyo. The rest of the property—set on the upper floors of the three connecting columns of the 770-foot Shinjuku Park Tower—is just as attractive, with a bamboo garden, swimming pool, and restaurant seated high in the sky. The interiors are the work ofPritzker Prize–winning architect Kenzo Tange and designer John Morford, ornamented with wood, woven abaca, and granite to add warmth to the hotel’s sleek glass surfaces. Starting at just under 600 square feet, guest rooms are practically palatial and include glass knobs that let you control everything from the lights to the curtains right from your bed, as well as walls paneled with rare water elm from Hokkaido, some sourced from trees that were submerged in lakes for up to 2,000 years."

"This 248-room hotel in one of the city’s tallest skyscrapers—Roppongi’s glass-sheeted Tokyo Midtown—offers some of the best views in the city, but the interiors are just as eye-catching. The property starts on the 45 th floor and espouses classic European decor, with four colorful abstract works by California painter Sam Francis, each 12 feet high, dominating the lobby. Rooms and public spaces look onto Mount Fuji, the Imperial Palace, and Tokyo Bay; inside delicate woodwork, hand-tufted carpets, patterned chiyogami wall coverings, a lobby waterfall, and Murano chandeliers set the scene. The hotel proudly touts the most expensive guest room in Japan, the Ritz-Carlton Suite, yours for the princely sum of $16,200 per night."

"Shangri-La, Tokyo Like most of Tokyo’s luxury lodgings, the Hong Kong –based hotel company’s only property in Japan occupies the top 11 floors of a prominent skyscraper, this time the Marunouchi Trust Tower Main Building. It offers direct access to Tokyo Station, the terminus of the Shinkansen bullet train network—and also looks onto the Marunouchi business district, the Imperial Palace, Shinjuku’s skyscrapers, Tokyo Skytree and, on a clear day, Mount Fuji—but the real reason to stay here is the stunning interiors. André Fu oversaw the Horizon Club Lounge, with its velvety upholstery and inlaid wood finishes, as wellas two of the restaurants. Don’t miss the Lobby Lounge chandelier: Each of its handmade glass pieces is shaped like a gingko leaf, symbolic in Japanese culture for longevity. Elsewhere, arrangements by Nicolai Bergmann, one of Japan’s most lauded flower artists, add vibrancy to public spaces and guest rooms that balance subdued color palettes and clean-lined furnishings."

"Unlike most luxury lodgings built inside Tokyo ’s mixed-use towers, The Peninsula was the only freestanding high-end hotel to be erected in the city for a decade. The 24-story property is situated in the Marunouchi financial district, opposite the moat of the Imperial Palace, and its exterior emulates a Japanese lantern, its amber Namibian granite contrasting with the surrounding gray stone and glass buildings. The forecourt features a landscaped garden of classical pine, cherry, and maple trees, reflecting the country’s cultural bond with nature and the changing seasons. Inside, the two-level lobby has ivory-colored walls with wood lattices that echo the windows of old Kyoto . The 1,300 crystal LED lightbulbs of the lobby chandelier resemble a cloud of fireworks or fireflies depending on who you ask. More than 1,000 pieces of art, mostly Japanese, further embellish interiors. Corridors reference the streets of old Kyoto, with floor lights and granite and mirror panels set into the walls resembling water, while the carpets feature a woven kimono-thread pattern. In other words, you won’t find a more atmospheric hotel in all of Tokyo."

"If Tokyo is just the first stop on your Japanese cultural immersion tour, you could do no better than a stay at this stately hotel. Opened in 1914 and restored after bombings during World War II in 1951, the European-style property’s 58 light-filled rooms put you within easy access of connecting trains at the historic Tokyo Station. Facilities command views of the Imperial Palace and the Marunouchi area, considered by some the pulsing heart of Tokyo, while guest rooms come in 15 comfortable options—including large suites, two-story maisonette-style rooms, and digs designed around the North and South Cupola domes—to satisfy every kind of traveler. Take time to decompress before the next leg of your journey with a pampering Elemis facial or massage at the spa, or sipping cocktails in one of the hotel’s nine restaurants and bars."