A honeymoon in Japan

Honeymoon hotels in Japan.

A few that couples choose, from city to countryside to the sea.

When to go on a honeymoon in Japan.

Late March to mid April brings cherry blossom, and October to November brings autumn colour; both are mild and beautiful, and both are popular, so the finest rooms go six to twelve months ahead.

Winter is the secret of many Japan honeymoons: a ryokan in the snow, its private hot-spring bath steaming in the cold, and Kyoto quiet in January. Summer suits Hokkaido and Okinawa's islands better than Tokyo and Kyoto.

Where to stay.

Most honeymoons combine a city hotel with a ryokan. Among those that set the standard: Aman Kyoto's pavilions in a hidden garden; Asaba, a centuries-old ryokan in Izu with a Noh stage on its pond; Fufu Kyukaruizawa, where each of twenty suites has its own hot-spring bath; and Rosewood Miyakojima's coastal villas in Okinawa for a beach at the end.

Which suite, which ryokan and which season suit the two of you is your advisor's to recommend.

Moments to plan for.

The moments couples remember most are the ones arranged privately.

• A private tea ceremony with a tea master in Kyoto
• A temple or garden visited before it opens to the public
• Omakase at an eight-seat counter, booked months ahead
• A kaiseki dinner served in your room at a ryokan
• Days walking the Kumano Kodo trails together, with a guide

Japan and a beach.

For a beach at the end, Okinawa's islands, Miyakojima among them, are a direct flight from Tokyo and keep the whole honeymoon in Japan.

Privacy.

Japan's culture of discretion means hotel staff protect guests' privacy as a cultural norm, and well-known visitors receive little public attention, which matters to many couples.

A honeymoon route through Japan.

A typical honeymoon of two weeks moves from the city to the countryside to the sea, or to the snow.

• Tokyo, three nights: arrive privately, settle in high above the city, and dine at the counters the city is famous for.
• A ryokan, two nights: a private hot-spring bath, a kaiseki dinner in your room, and nowhere to be.
• Kyoto, four nights: gardens, temples visited before they open, and a private tea ceremony.
• Okinawa's islands, four nights: warm water and a villa by the sea; or, in winter, Niseko's powder snow instead.

A ryokan for two.

For many couples the ryokan nights are the heart of a Japan honeymoon. Choose a room with its own open-air hot-spring bath, and dinner served in the room, and the evening becomes entirely your own: the bath at dusk, a long kaiseki dinner, and the bath again at dawn.

Ryokans in the countryside around Mount Fuji, Hakone and Izu are within easy reach of Tokyo; others sit in hot-spring towns or alone in the mountains.

Kyoto for couples.

Kyoto is at its most romantic early in the morning and late in the evening, when the crowds have gone. A temple garden seen privately before it opens, a walk through Arashiyama's bamboo at first light, a private tea ceremony, and a dinner with a geiko or maiko, arranged by introduction, are the moments couples remember.

Food on a Japan honeymoon.

Japan is one of the world's great places to eat. Tokyo has more Michelin-starred restaurants than any other city, and an omakase dinner at a counter of six to twelve seats, where the chef serves each course by hand, is an evening in itself. Add kaiseki at a ryokan, a visit to the sake breweries of Fushimi in Kyoto, and the fresh seafood of Hokkaido in winter.

For adventurous couples.

For couples who want more than gardens and hot springs: walk the Kumano Kodo's ancient pilgrimage trails, staying in mountain inns; ski Niseko's powder with a private guide; or explore Hokkaido's national parks in summer.

Planning your honeymoon.

For cherry blossom or autumn colour, book six to twelve months ahead; the finest rooms go first. Ten to sixteen nights is typical, enough for Tokyo, a ryokan, Kyoto and a beach or the mountains without rushing.

Your advisor chooses the ryokan rooms with private baths, reserves the restaurants that open months ahead, arranges the private visits, and stays at hand for changes before and during the trip.

Japan for honeymooners, season by season.

Spring brings cherry blossom from late March and fresh green gardens in May, the most celebrated and the busiest time to go. Book six to twelve months ahead for the finest rooms.

Summer suits honeymoons in Hokkaido's cool, open country and on Okinawa's islands, rather than in hot and humid Tokyo and Kyoto.

Autumn is many couples' favourite: clear skies, comfortable days and the temple gardens in red and gold from October in the north to late November in Kyoto.

Winter is the most intimate: ryokans in the snow, private hot-spring baths in the cold air, Kyoto at its quietest, and powder snow in Niseko for couples who ski.

Getting there and getting around.

Private jets land at Haneda, twenty minutes from central Tokyo, or Narita. Between Tokyo, Kyoto and Osaka the bullet train is often faster than flying, and Gran Class on the Hokuriku Shinkansen rivals first-class air. Private cars meet you at every station, and luggage can be sent ahead between hotels so you travel light.

Citizens of the US, the EU, the UK and Canada can visit Japan without a visa for up to 90 days.

Etiquette worth knowing.

A few customs make a ryokan stay easier. Wash before entering a hot-spring bath, which is for soaking, not washing. Many shared baths do not admit guests with tattoos, which is one more reason to choose a room with a private bath. Tipping is not customary in Japan, and you remove your shoes in ryokans, temples and many restaurants.

Where to end: islands or snow.

Okinawa's islands, Miyakojima among them, end a spring, summer or autumn honeymoon with warm water and beaches. In winter, Niseko's powder snow and hot springs make a different ending, cosy rather than sunlit. Both keep the whole honeymoon in Japan, with no long second flight.

Your questions.

Your honeymoon in Japan, planned for the two of you.

Recommendations chosen for you, an itinerary crafted around them, and every booking managed by an independent Ultra Advisor who works with local specialists in Japan.