The Japan Travel Awards, an annual Japan-based competition that honors exceptional travel destinations and operators, recently announced this year’s winners. After receiving almost 200 entries from across Japan, a panel of experts judged a shortlist of 16 finalists to determine the winners — with a focus on recognizing sustainability, diversity, inclusion, and outstanding hospitality in their tourism models.
The winners will be celebrated at the Japan Travel Award Ceremony on February 12, at the Tokyo American Club.
Kurabito Stay (Saku, Nagano Prefecture) — An interactive and sustainability-focused cultural and accommodation experience where visitors can become a “kurabito” (sake brewer) for a day.
Kurabito Stay is a women-owned joint venture between a 300-year-old local Kitsukura Sake Brewery and Kurabito Stay in Saku, Nagano Prefecture, a well-known sake brewing region. It operates under a philosophy that emphasizes the importance of continued tradition that tackles surface-leveled mass tourism and encourages female participation in the local labor market.
Barrier-Free Outdoor Support “wildwater” (Otsu, Shiga Prefecture): An outdoor tour operator located on Lake Biwa that provides accessible stand-up paddleboards (SUP), kayaks, canoes, and fishing experiences.
Founded by Takehito Kano, a former firefighter, the company utilizes harness equipment to assist wheelchair users in boarding boats and participating in water sports activities. Tour participants with mobility disabilities can experience various lake activities previously inaccessible in the region.
Ace Hotel Kyoto (Kyoto, Kyoto Prefecture) — The first Ace Hotel in Asia and Japan, Ace Hotel Kyoto standardizes diversity and inclusivity in Japan’s hospitality sector through a range of annual events, campaigns, and collaborations.
With a hospitality approach that embraces inclusivity, Ace Hotel Kyoto sets a standard for diversity in the industry.
Natural Indigo Dye Studio AiAii (Sumoto, Hyogo Prefecture) — A natural indigo dyeing studio that grows and ferments its own indigo plants.
Visitors can learn all the steps of indigo dyeing through Japanese and English bilingual workshops and dye clothing items, upcycle old items, or purchase souvenirs made with the studio’s indigo.
Samurai Trip - Kendo Experience Tour (Ota City, Tokyo) — An immersive bilingual kendo tour curated predominantly for overseas travelers with the mission to showcase the competitive nature of the sport and its history.
Samurai Trip’s tours are well-curated and provide a welcoming place that introduces an important cultural aspect of Japan in an engaging style to inbound travelers.
Iganosato Mokumoku Tezukuri Farm (Iga, Mie Prefecture) — A self-sufficient sightseeing farm that allows visitors to observe how animals contribute to our livelihood and get involved in various hands-on activities and experiences.
The farm offers a variety of educational practices and activities aimed at helping children think critically about important topics, such as the origins of our food and how human life depends on agriculture, animals, and farmers.
Hakko House Nagaoka (Nagaoka, Niigata Prefecture) — A guesthouse that serves as a base for exploring Niigata’s food fermentation culture.
Fermented food is central to the culture and livelihood of Niigata, Japan’s “snow country.” Guests can participate in a range of activities that showcase the practices of local farms and businesses that are integral to the region’s culinary heritage.
Hakone Honbako (Hakone, Kanagawa Prefecture) — A hot spring retreat with a unique historical gastronomic experience and an internal library that houses over 12,000 books that can be read and/or purchased on-site.
To accommodate families, the hotel introduces “Hakone Honbako Kids” events several times a year, transforming the space into a family-friendly environment that caters to guests over elementary school age.
Treeful Treehouse Sustainable Resort (Nago, Okinawa Prefecture) — Japan’s first and only treehouse hotel.
Located in Okinawa’s Yanbaru Forest, the resort offers accommodations between the branches of a real tree, while introducing guests to the exclusive experience of coexisting with nature.
ume, yamazoe (Yamazoe, Nara Prefecture) — A modern inn renovated from an old private house that operates under the concept of being “a slightly inconvenient hotel” and “a people-friendly place” for all.
Through its HAJIMARI Project, the inn welcomes a minimum of 12 families each year, with at least one member living with a disability or severe illness, to experience a complimentary stay.
Templestay ZENSO (Chiyoda, Gumma Prefecture) — As the first guesthouse of the 700-year old Horijnji Temple and the whole of Chiyoda town, Templestay Zenso offers an authentic temple stay.
Guests can enjoy a peaceful retreat in the countryside, along with enriching temple activities such as zazen meditation, sutra copying, and morning prayers, while also engaging in direct conversations with the temple’s monk.
This year’s winners will be celebrated at the Japan Travel Awards 2025 Award Ceremony in the company of past winners, travel professionals, and government officials at the Tokyo American Club (Minato-ku, Tokyo) on Wednesday, February 12, 2025.
🏆 Visit the winners page to learn more about each award, and information about applying for next year’s competition.
+ 244 others joined this month
Comments
It has been another great year for us at the Japan Travel Awards in Tokyo and we're thrilled to share the winners with you all. Among the 196 (record-high!) entries from across Japan, we received quite a few entries from businesses operated by very small teams and even a few run by solo operators. When we selected them as finalists in recognition of their achievements, many of them came back asking, "Why?" finding it hard to believe they could be recognized alongside major players, such as global hospitality brands.
But that's precisely why we keep doing this—the most important changes often start small. When someone recognizes the effort and brevity, it only helps these change-makers know they're on the right path.
So please cheer for these businesses, large and small, for the changes they are trying to implement in the travel industry. We hope you'll pin them down for your next Japan trip. And we hope we'll see many of you at the upcoming ceremony in Tokyo, where you can meet all these winners and other travel professionals in person.
Ally, co-founder or the Japan Travel Awards
Hi Ally,
Congratulations on yet another successful year at the Japan Travel Awards! It's truly inspiring to see such a diverse range of entries being recognised, and your commitment to spotlighting both small and large contributors to the travel industry is commendable. The focus on innovation and inclusivity sets a remarkable standard for us all.
In the spirit of celebrating achievements, I'm thrilled to share that my enterprise, Gemstone Detective, has been honoured with the Best Ethical Gemstone Tourism Enterprise 2025 award at the LUXLife Travel & Tourism Awards. We strive to promote ethical practices in gemstone tourism and are deeply honoured to be recognised alongside visionary leaders like yourself.
Looking forward to possibly connecting with some of these incredible winners and industry professionals at the upcoming ceremony in Tokyo or London, if the opportunity arises.