Where to stay in Japan: the best areas and hotels

Tokyo is the inevitable start, and it's a thrill. Shinjuku and Shibuya fizz with neon and crowds, Ginza glitters with department stores, Asakusa's Sensoji Temple wafts incense over its lanes, and the Imperial Palace sits serenely amid the skyscrapers of Marunouchi. Eat everywhere: tiny ramen counters and Michelin-starred sushi are often on the same street.

Base yourself near a big station. The Shangri-La sits atop a tower beside Tokyo Station, ideal for bullet-train days; the Grand Hyatt is in the heart of lively Roppongi; and the Cerulean Tower is five minutes from Shibuya Station, with Harajuku two minutes away by train. For space and bay views, look at Odaiba on the waterfront.

For centuries Kyoto was Japan's imperial capital, and it still holds the country's greatest concentration of temples, shrines and gardens: the golden pavilion of Kinkaku-ji, the vermilion gates of Fushimi Inari, the bamboo groves of Arashiyama and the geisha district of Gion, its wooden teahouses glowing after dark.

Hotels have caught up with the setting. Expect serene spa hotels with Japanese restaurants, a Luxury Collection property with hot-spring baths, the Ritz-Carlton with its indoor pool and the Park Hyatt with local cuisine among its four restaurants. Stay central near Gion or the river and you can walk out early, before the day-trippers arrive.

Osaka is Kyoto's noisy, cheerful neighbour, a 15-minute bullet-train ride away and proud of its reputation as Japan's kitchen. The canal-side Dotonbori district blazes with neon signs and street stalls selling takoyaki and okonomiyaki, and the city has a famously friendly, unbuttoned nightlife.

Stay in Umeda, the northern hub around Osaka Station, for the slickest hotels: a Canopy by Hilton near the Umeda Sky Building, the Ritz-Carlton and the InterContinental with its skyline views. Or choose Namba, in the south, where the Swissôtel connects directly to trains for Kansai Airport and is a short walk from Dotonbori.

Hakone is the classic escape from Tokyo: steaming hot-spring towns, a ropeway over volcanic valleys, pirate-ship cruises on Lake Ashi and, on clear days, Mount Fuji looming over it all. Spend at least one night, because soaking in an onsen after dark is the whole point.

In the hillside Gora area, Indigo Hakone Gora is a modern retreat with a free shuttle, and there are private villas with their own hot springs. Hilton Odawara sits in the foothills with views over Sagami Bay. Yokohama, Japan's great port city, offers harbourside hotels in Minatomirai, from the nautically inspired InterContinental Pier 8 to a sky pool high above the bay.

Shizuoka is Mount Fuji's southern flank and the gateway to the Izu Peninsula, a hilly coastline dotted with hot-spring villages. This is the place to splash out on a traditional ryokan: tatami rooms, multi-course dinners and baths filled with mineral water.

Ochiairo, in Shuzenji, dates from 1874 and is a registered cultural property, with indoor and outdoor thermal baths and drinks included. Sanyoso sits in the hot-spring town of Izu-Nagaoka, close to the Katsuragiyama Ropeway for Fuji views. Further west, Lake Hamana has relaxed resort hotels.

Nagano is mountain Japan: ski resorts in winter, hiking trails in summer and cool, clear air all year. Karuizawa, long a summer retreat for Tokyo's elite, has forest lodges and boutique hotels, while Matsumoto is home to one of Japan's finest original castles, black-walled and beautiful.

Hoshinoya Karuizawa is the star, a woodland lodge with a spa and a free shuttle to the sights, and Hotel Indigo Karuizawa adds an Italian restaurant and lobby fireplace. In Matsumoto, Nunoya Ryokan is a six-room inn a 15-minute walk from the castle.

Japan's northern island is famous for two things: the light, deep powder snow that has made Niseko a byword among skiers, and outstanding seafood. Sapporo, the capital, hosts the famous Snow Festival in Odori Park every winter, and summer brings lavender fields and hiking.

Park Hyatt Niseko Hanazono looks out at Mount Yotei, the Fuji of Hokkaido, and suits both beginners and experts. In Sapporo, the Grand Mercure is three minutes from Odori Park and the MGallery Hotel Sosei is a stylish city base. For a hot-spring escape, Noboribetsu has all-suite ryokan with serious onsen.

Okinawa feels like a different country: subtropical islands far to the south, with white beaches, coral reefs, a distinct culture and a warm climate when Tokyo is chilly. It's where Japanese families go for a beach holiday, and it makes a lovely finale to a longer trip.

The resorts are big and family-friendly. The ANA InterContinental Manza Beach sits on a private beach ringed by coral reef, the Grand Mercure Cape Zanpa has one of the largest pool complexes on the island with water slides and a lazy river, and the Halekulani brings polished luxury. The Prince Ocean View in Ginowan adds two outdoor pools and a spa.