Fashion, wellness and craftsmanship take centre stage in these unique hotel experiences in Japan.
Whether exploring the world of Dior in Tokyo, practising centuries-old calligraphy in Osaka or unwinding in a fermentation-inspired wellness retreat in Hokkaido, these new hotel packages offer a deeper connection to Japan on your next visit.
All Things Dior
Palace Hotel Tokyo has launched a special collaboration with Dior to mark the unveiling of the Dior Bamboo Pavilion in Tokyo’s Daikanyama neighbourhood. The Pavilion is a one-of-a-kind concept store paying homage to Christian Dior’s love for the beauty of nature, featuring a golden aluminium façade inspired by Japanese bamboo forests, a conceptual garden by landscape designer Seijun Nishihata, and interiors that marry modern Parisian sophistication with Japanese artisanship. Inside, creative director Jonathan Anderson’s latest collections are on display, including limited-edition pieces.
The hotel’s “A Touch of Dior” stay package immerses guests in this exclusive world. Book a one-night stay with a choice of accommodations (for example Club Deluxe with Balcony room, Executive Suite or Premier Suite). This inludes a privately guided Dior Bamboo Pavilion tour (with one-way, private transfer from the hotel), a light meal at the Pavilion’s Café Dior by renowned French chef Anne-Sophie Pic, a Miss Dior cocktail at Lounge Bar Privé or The Palace Lounge, and in-room Dior-inspired floral arrangement, a box of Les Bonbons Bouton de Christian Dior chocolates and a welcome bottle of champagne.
The package is available through March 2027 at the hotel, which holds Michelin Guide’s Three Keys distinction, and is limited to one booking per day.
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Slow Restoration
Set within Hokkaido’s Asarigawa Onsen district, Otaru Retreat by Onko Chishin has introduced two new wellness experiences: an Enzyme Bath Package and a Private Onsen Package. The 19-room retreat, which reopened in February 2026, follows the concept of kamosu — the Japanese philosophy of fermentation and gradual transformation expressed through wellness, cuisine and design.
The highlight is Hokkaido’s first in-property enzyme bath, developed in collaboration with Ohtaka Enzyme, an Otaru-based fermentation house with more than a century of expertise. Guests immerse themselves in a bath of Hokkaido conifer sawdust activated by fermented botanical extracts, generating natural heat through microbial activity. The treatment is designed to promote circulation, recovery and skin renewal, with dedicated skincare amenities provided by Ohtaka Enzyme.
The new Private Onsen Package centres on a secluded outdoor bath fed by the Asarigawa hot spring and overlooking Hokkaido’s wooded satoyama landscape. The experience also includes a sauna infused with kumazasa, or bear bamboo, used during the löyly steam ritual, alongside a cold plunge and a minibar stocked with locally sourced fermented beverages and herbal teas.
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A Stay Inspired by Shodō
Zentis Osaka is turning the spotlight on one of Japan’s oldest artistic traditions with the third edition of its Art-in-Residence programme, centred on a collaboration with renowned calligraphy masters Baikei Uehira and Taiga Uehira. Launched in June 2026, the initiative combines an exhibition with a new stay package designed to introduce guests to the meditative practice of shodō, the Japanese art of calligraphy.
Displayed throughout the boutique hotel’s public spaces, the exhibition features 11 original works by the father-and-son duo, whose contemporary interpretations seek to preserve and reimagine an art form with more than a millennium of history. Baikei Uehira is widely recognised as a master calligrapher and pioneer of live-calligraphy performances, as well as the founder of the Osaka-based Seisho Calligraphy Association. Following in his father’s footsteps, Taiga Uehira established Calligraphia Japan with the aim of bringing Japanese calligraphy to a wider international audience.
To complement the exhibition, Zentis Osaka has introduced “The Essence of Shodō at Zentis Osaka”, a stay package that offers guests a deeper immersion into the art form. The experience includes two nights’ accommodation, a private 60-minute introductory calligraphy lesson at the Seisho Calligraphy Association led by either Baikei or Taiga Uehira, and a water-calligraphy set for continued practice at home. Guests will also receive a traditional Japanese fan featuring either their own calligraphy or a piece created by their instructor, along with bath salts scented with Parfum Satori’s signature fragrance.
Available for stays from 1 June 2026 to 31 March 2027, the package offers a rare opportunity to engage with one of Japan’s most enduring cultural traditions through both observation and hands-on practice.
