Relais & Châteaux in Japan: Every Member Stay
Relais & Châteaux is the invitation-only association of independently owned luxury houses, founded in France in 1954. In Japan 10 stays carry its shield today — and, unusually, 8 of those 10 also hold a MICHELIN Key. Here is every member, what the membership means, and how to book.
On this page
What the shield means
Membership is not a rating awarded by an inspector — it is an invitation extended by the association's members and confirmed by vote. Its roots are culinary: many houses are restaurants with rooms, and the cooking matters as much as the building. A shield says a house has been accepted by its peers.
The members in Japan
10 houses in Japan are members today — from the three-Key ryokan Asaba and Gora Kadan to intimate one-Key houses like Hiiragiya in Kyoto. Every one is independently owned, and several are restaurants with rooms, true to the association's origins.
Japan's Relais & Châteaux members
Hakone, Kanagawa
Gora Kadan
強羅花壇
≈¥59,850〜Per person · 2 meals
Kaga, Ishikawa
Beniya Mukayu
べにや無何有
≈¥58,000〜Per person · 2 meals
Minakami, Gunma
Bettei Senjuan
別邸仙寿庵
¥58,900〜Per person · 2 meals
Every one also holds a Michelin Key
A quirk worth noting: 8 of Japan's 10 Relais & Châteaux members also hold at least one MICHELIN Key. Membership and rating are different judgments — one an invitation, the other an inspector's score — yet in Japan they land on the same houses. The figure below shows how the Keys are spread across the rated set.
How to book
Most members sell through the major OTAs as well as their own desks; the three-Key houses book out months ahead, so plan early. Rates and availability for one of the two three-Key members are below.
Check rates at Gora Kadan
Listed alphabetically. Prices and cancellation terms differ between them, and this page does not see either — it is worth opening more than one.
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How many Relais & Châteaux stays are there in Japan?
10 at last check — the grid above is the current set.
Do all of them hold a Michelin Key?
8 of the 10 current members do — at last check, every one.
If cuisine and intimacy lead the decision more than membership, continue to Japan’s best luxury auberges.
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