As the city recalibrates in response to overtourism, Hotel The Mitsui Kyoto offers a sense of balance and calm steps from Nijo Castle
Words by LESLEY McKENZIE
As subtle shifts in access, etiquette, and crowd flow begin to reshape visitors’ experiences in Kyoto amid overtourism, the imperial capital of Japan has started to embrace a slower rhythm. And that suits the HOTEL THE MITSUI KYOTO, a Luxury Collection Hotel & Spa, just fine. Opened in 2020 on the estate of the Mitsui family and set directly opposite Nijo Castle in central Kyoto, the property — recently named to the “World’s Best 50 Hotels 2025” list — embraces a sense of harmony that connects nature and history with daily life.
The imperial capital of Japan has started to embrace a slower rhythm.
Guests enter through the carefully preserved, centuries-old Kajiimiya Gate before stepping into interiors that strike a balance among proportion, texture, and calm. The 160 rooms serve as modern interpretations of traditional tearooms, rendered in natural materials and outfitted with generously sized stone bathtubs that encourage deep restoration. A handful of suites take this commitment to relaxation to the next level, offering access to a natural onsen fed by an on-site thermal spring.
These mineral-rich waters also serve as a focal point of the subterranean spa, where treatments can be paired with a soak in the hot spring pool or in a private onsen, complete with an enclosed wet area and a small Japanese garden (don’t miss the option to indulge in a traditional Japanese breakfast in seclusion). Spa offerings are equally luxurious, spanning traditional Japanese massage techniques such as shiatsu and yuragi to pearl extract–infused treatments that promote radiance and dry-brushing therapies that stimulate lymphatic flow.
On-site dining options are also in a league of their own, with four distinct dining venues encircling the hotel’s focal point: a thoughtfully landscaped courtyard garden that radiates beauty year-round, dotted with stone lanterns and anchored by a suiban water basin. Locally grown ingredients take center stage on every menu, from the crab-and-turnip risotto and Roman-style pizzas at the Italian-themed Forni, to the French-driven fare at Toki, where Chef Tetsuya Asano’s stock made from Kyoto waters serves as the foundation for an innovative 12-course meal. Shiki-no-Ma, a meticulously reconstructed space from the original Mitsui residence, offers a more ceremonial counterpoint, hosting tea gatherings and private meals that draw from Kyoto’s cultural rituals.
As Kyoto increasingly moves toward sustainable tourism, the hotel offers guests exclusive opportunities to engage with the city at its most peaceful moments through curated experiences, such as a visit to the Tokinoka Ceramic Studio, and a private early-morning access to the Kiyomizu-dera Temple. The priest-led tour moves through normally closed areas of the 1,200-year-old World Heritage Site before the crowds arrive and includes a visit to the Hozoden Treasury — a rare encounter that echoes the hotel’s own commitment to slower, more meaningful moments with Kyoto’s history and culture. hotelthemitsui.com/en/kyoto/.
January 2, 2026
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