24 properties in this register hold 24 keys or fewer. That the smallest band is populated at all is the point: in a fabricated register it would be empty, because invented entries cluster around the shape of a typical hotel. Commercially the band matters more than the number — at this size there is one conversation, and it is with the owner.
| Property | Town | Prefecture | Level | Keys | Operator |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Amanemu アマネム | Shima | Mie | 3 Keys | 24 | Aman |
| Asaba あさば | Izu | Shizuoka | 3 Keys | 17 | independent |
| Gajoen 雅叙苑 | Kirishima | Kagoshima | 2 Keys | 10 | independent |
| Kamenoi Bessou 亀の井別荘 | Yufu | Oita | 2 Keys | 21 | independent |
| Teien no Yado Sekitei 庭園の宿 石亭 | Hatsukaichi | Hiroshima | 2 Keys | 12 | independent |
| The Shinmonzen The Shinmonzen | Kyoto | Kyoto | 2 Keys | 9 | independent |
| Zaborin 坐忘林 | Kutchan | Hokkaido | 2 Keys | 15 | independent |
| Araya Totoan あらや滔々庵 | Kaga | Ishikawa | 1 Key | 18 | independent |
| Auberge TOKITO オーベルジュ ときと | Tachikawa | Tokyo | 1 Key | 4 | independent |
| Azumi Setoda Azumi Setoda | Onomichi | Hiroshima | 1 Key | 22 | Azumi |
| Beniya Mukayu べにや無何有 | Kaga | Ishikawa | 1 Key | 16 | independent |
| Bettei Otozure 別邸 音信 | Nagato | Yamaguchi | 1 Key | 18 | Otani Sanso |
| Bettei Senjuan 別邸 仙寿庵 | Minakami | Gunma | 1 Key | 24 | independent |
| Hiiragiya 柊家 | Kyoto | Kyoto | 1 Key | 21 | independent |
| K5 K5 | Tokyo | Tokyo | 1 Key | 20 | independent |
| MUNI KYOTO MUNI KYOTO | Kyoto | Kyoto | 1 Key | 21 | Marriott International |
| Myoken Ishiharaso 妙見石原荘 | Kirishima | Kagoshima | 1 Key | 15 | independent |
| Numazu Club 沼津倶楽部 | Numazu | Shizuoka | 1 Key | 11 | independent |
| Satoyama Jujo 里山十帖 | Minamiuonuma | Niigata | 1 Key | 12 | Jiyujin |
| Shishi-Iwa House ししいわハウス軽井沢 | Karuizawa | Nagano | 1 Key | 10 | independent |
| Yufuin Tamanoyu 由布院 玉の湯 | Yufu | Oita | 1 Key | 16 | independent |
| Sanso Murata 山荘 無量塔 | Yufu | Oita | Recorded | 12 | independent |
| Tawaraya 俵屋旅館 | Kyoto | Kyoto | Recorded | 18 | independent |
| Tenku no Mori 天空の森 | Kirishima | Kagoshima | Recorded | 5 | independent |
See also the full register and the onsen towns where most of these sit.
Source: MICHELIN Keys Japan 2025, announced 8 October 2025; Japan Tourism Agency confirmed annual series, published 6 July 2026. · Verified 31 August 2026 · Figures are dated; estimates are marked.