Hotels with Japanese / Japanese-Western Room

Many families traveling with a baby or young child choose a Japanese-style (tatami) room or a Japanese/Western-style room. In a Western-style room, a bed can raise worries about falls, but with a futon laid out on tatami flooring, a crawling or toddling child can play and sleep right there on the floor, which eases the anxiety of looking away for even a moment.

A room with a tatami area is also convenient for diaper changes, getting dressed, and feeding time, and you can add a baby futon to sleep side by side as a family. A Japanese/Western-style room combines a bed with a tatami area, so families with siblings of different ages can choose how each child sleeps. Since you can sit directly on the tatami, it's also easier to keep good posture during playtime or meals.

The term "Japanese-style" or "Japanese/Western-style" room covers a range of setups — the size of the tatami area, the number of futons, and whether a bed is included all vary by hotel. Confirming the size of the tatami area and whether extra futons are available at the time of booking, along with checking that the layout suits your party size, helps you settle in comfortably once you arrive. Checking whether there's a raised threshold at the edge of the tatami — a common feature that's easy to trip on — also helps make things easier for a family with a child just learning to walk.