The country of the rising sun is ready to shine again. After years of lockdowns due to COVID-19, Japan has fully reopened its borders to international tourists. Visa waivers have been reinstated for 68 countries, including the United States, and PCR tests are no longer required for those who can demonstrate three vaccinations. Keep in mind that the use of masks is still widespread indoors and on public transport. Also, you may have to wear one to get into some businesses.
Both first-time and return visitors to Japan will find new things to experience, and thanks to the favorable dollar-to-yen exchange rate, there has never been a better time to visit this country. Below, we’ve rounded up our favorite new hotels, restaurants, and attractions in Tokyo, Kyoto, and Osaka, as well as a must-see on the art island of Naoshima.
Such
Shopping
Tokyo has undergone drastic changes, thanks in part to large-scale development projects that were planned before the pandemic. Shibuya, Tokyo’s fashion haven, is now home to sprawling mega-complexes like Miyashita Park and Shibuya Scramble Square, which features an observation deck on the roof of a 46-story skyscraper.
Hotels
New hotels have brought cosmopolitan flair to the city’s business districts, with pet-friendly suites and restaurants in Kimpton-Shinjuku and The Tokyo EDITION’s dazzling Gold Bar, plus the brand-new Jade Room in Toranomon. Near the Imperial Palace, the Four Seasons Otemachi has become a culinary hub, offering Michelin-starred French meals at Est, wood-fired pizzas at Pigneto, and elegant cocktails at Bar Virtu.
Rrestaurants
The capital continues to be a gastronomic powerhouse with 203 Michelin-starred spaces and new innovative proposals that are driving the culinary scene. Two-Michelin-starred chefs (and best friends) Zaiyu Hasegawa of Den and Hiroyasu Kawate of Florilege have teamed up to launch the Den Kushi Flori joint venture. The restaurant, with seating only at the counter, serves up fun mixes like tacos stuffed with firefly squid and marinated red cabbage garnished with vinegary miso.
Fermentation is the cornerstone of the mix-and-match cuisine at Acid, led by chef Tomoya Kodama, a rising star in gastronomy. High-end openings include Gucci Osteria da Massimo Bottura, which explores Japan’s food culture through the prism of Italian cuisine, and Virgilio Martinez’s Maz, where Tokyoites can sample contemporary Peruvian cuisine. Opened last year, Daniel Calvert’s Sezanne restaurant has become a must-visit among foodies for its house specialties such as tilefish with crispy flakes and American sauce.
Bars
As for drinks, we find sustainable cocktails on the menu at Ash, a sustainable cafeteria and bar collaboration between bartender Shingo Gokan and barista Taka Ishitani. Try the Martini: a mix of gin and homemade vermouth spiked with surplus herbs, garnished with a cube made of lemon-olive paste, the olives of which have been used to infuse other spirits.
Kyoto
Hotels
Investments have made Kyoto’s hotel offer grow, especially in the upper part. Among the most outstanding hotels is Hotel The Mitsui, a 161-room establishment built on the grounds of the former residence of the Mitsui family, where the luxurious rooms overlook a beautiful interior garden and the suites offer a view of Nijo Castle. The hotel also stands out for the wonderful pools of its underground thermal water spa, filled with water from a source 1000 meters deep.
In Gion’s historic district, The Shinmonzen boutique hotel blends Japanese and Western sensibilities in an art-filled structure designed by Tadao Ando overlooking the Shirakawa River. Close to the famous Nishiki Market, Ace Hotel has brought hipster energy to downtown Kyoto with craft cocktails, coffee, tacos and DJ nights. Farther north, near the Kiyomizu temple, Maana Homes will open three new suites in November. Modern interiors display Japanese craftsmanship with washi paper-covered walls, handwoven bamboo latticework, and deep ceramic bathtubs. Occupying a row of converted wooden townhouses, the complex includes the stylish Kissa Kisshin café and POJ Studio, a retail space and workshop offering kintsugi lessons,
Restaurants
Today, creative cuisine is flourishing throughout the traditionally conservative Kyoto. Trendy new additions like Koke build on the success of restaurants like Lurra (with Nordic leanings) and Il Garage, a hidden gem specializing in modern Italian cuisine with just two tables. Toki, located inside The Mitsui Hotel, serves delicate French-Japanese cuisine inspired by the region’s landscape, while Katsuhito Inoue’s Chef’s Table (with six seats) combines influences from Italy, Spain and Japan. Located on the spectacular Lake Biwa, an hour from the city, Sower Restaurant has become a trendy destination for contemporary gastronomy since its opening in April.
Attractions
One of the most anticipated openings in the country this year, Park Ghibli, begins receiving visitors on November 1. Not to be confused with Tokyo’s prized Ghibli Museum, which was saved from closure caused by the pandemic thanks to a crowdfunding campaign. The new theme park is located on an area of almost 7 hectares about a couple of hours from Kyoto by train. Three areas will open in 2022: the Ghibli Department Store, the Hill of Youth (inspired by films like Howl’s Moving Castle and Haru in the Kingdom of Cats ) and the Dondoku Forest (a tribute to My Neighbor Totoro ). In 2023, two other areas are scheduled to open: the Valley of the Witches and Mononoke Village.
Osaka
Hotels
Simple Osaka has upped its style with the launch of Japan’s first W Hotel, housed in a sleek black tower in the heart of the bustling Shinsaibashi district (a short walk from the neon-lit street food hub of Dotonbori).
Across town, in Kita Ward, the Nakanoshima Art Museum opened its doors in February 2022, after four decades of planning. The complex, a large cultural center, has spacious exhibition halls and atriums to display works from the museum’s collection, which has more than 6,000 modern masterpieces.
Naoshima
Attractions
The Benesse Art Site museum on the island of Naoshima in Kagawa Prefecture made headlines last August when a typhoon swept away the iconic yellow pumpkin dotted with black polka dots, the work of Yayoi Kusama. Fortunately, earlier this month, a recreation of the sculpture was installed in its original location on the edge of a pier. At the entrance of the museum’s recently opened Valley Gallery you can admire a new work by Kusama: the wonderful “Garden of Daffodils”, made up of 1700 mirror spheres (some of which float on the surface of the pond). The Benesse House, a museum-hotel hybrid, has also launched a permanent gallery dedicated to 30 contemplative works by artist Hiroshi Sugimoto.
