Let’s face it, travelling with your pet, whether a cat, dog or some other fluffy critter, leads to a lot of worry, like your pet’s physical condition, causing nuisance to those around you – the list goes on. Well, have no fear when coming to Japan. Rakuten Travel have ranked a list of the top 10 highly-received and accommodating places that will cater to you and your pet when traveling, delivering a hospitable service and coming equipped with all pet amenities.

1^st Place: “Murphy” – Stay over with your pet and reserve a place at the natural hot springs

The “dog-friendly relaxing spa hotel” Murphy is located in Shizuoka Prefecture and offers a 1-day overnight stay for up to 4 people, and you can take your cat, dog or other small animal with you. Every room has a living room with plenty of space for big dogs and comes prepared with amenities for your pet. Besides the bedrooms, you can also eat in the dining room and spend time with your pet on the terrace with an unbroken view of the ocean. The hotel even has open-air natural hot springs that you can reserve, and guests can use the available pet bath tubs at the washing area if they so wish. Both you and your pet can take a dip together, or if your pet isn’t too good with baths they can sit and wait in the changing room.

2^nd Place: “Kominka Shokudo Rokudaime Heiji”

Kominka Shokudo Rokudaime Heiji can be found in Tochigi Prefecture, just a 15-minute walk from Yunishigawa-Onsen Station. This facility accommodates one person for one night and provides an earthen floor for pets to sleep on. They have a plan available where you can walk together with the site’s two front of house dogs, Ikari Musume-chan and Damu-kun, which has proven popular. Those that have used the plan comment how much fun it is to walk and run together with Damu and Ikari Musume who are very lively.

3^rd Place: “Brand-new Day” – A tiny tucked away lodge in Izu-Kōgen

Brand-new Day is in Shizuoka Prefecture and comes with four ocean-facing rooms. Guests can stay in the same room as their small dog, and this place also has rentable open-air hot springs and doggy bath tubs. People comment how although they were worried about travelling with their dogs for the first time, choosing Brand-new Day was the absolute right way to go, and compliment the lodge for their kind consideration.

4^th Place: Hotel Resta

Situated in Tochigi Prefecture, Hotel Resta is another dog-friendly location. If guests use a cage they can enter the lounge without worry. One person praised the accommodation, saying “I stayed for a couple of days with my chihuahua and family. It was my first long-distance trek with my dog, so I was a little anxious, but there was a dog enclosure I could use at nighttime, so my mind was put at ease. My dog also become accustomed to the room and relaxed well.”

5^th Place: “Ashiato no Mori” – A rentable overnight pet villa

Ashiato no Mori is in Shizuoka Prefecture and was revamped and reopened in July 2016 to accommodate 3 people per night without meals. As well as their ‘dog run’ where your beloved dog can enjoy playing to the fullest, each room caters not only to the owner, but the pet too, filled with dog amenities to make the stay for both the dog and the owner a pleasant experience. The villa has been praised for its attentiveness and amenities for both parties, as well as the hospitality towards pets and consideration of guests.

6^th Place: “Maure Sanso” – Maruseppu Hot Spring

Maure Sanso is a North American style hotel that sits in the middle of a quiet forest in Hokkaido. A cottage complete with hot springs, Maure Sanso is another pet-friendly site that enables guests to stop over with their pets. There’s facilities to cook for yourself making it perfect for long stays. And because there are large public baths where you can enjoy simple alkaline hot springs, it’s a great opportunity for people that want to travel with their pets but also want to enjoy a relaxing time in the onsen.

7^th Place: “Guest House Bern”

Guest House Bern is located atop Kurumayama 1,600m above sea level in Nagano Prefecture. It caters not only to small dogs but bigger ones too thanks to the large spaces available. Guests can enjoy spending precious time with their dogs on a fun dog run or during dinnertime where your dog can join you.

8^th Place: “Hamadoraku” in Nishiizu

If you have a cage or crate available, then you can get an overnight room with a small dog at Hamadoraku in Shizuoka Prefecture. If the weather is good you can catch a glimpse of Mt. Fuji while you ease your fatigue in the open-air baths. One guest said, “We went as a husband and wife with our dog. It’s not a new hotel, but we were pleased with the immaculate state of the rooms and futons.”

9^th Place: “Daikokukan”

Gunma Prefecture’s Daikokukan not only has bedrooms, but a food area too where you can go with your dog. There’s a playroom that can house up to around 20 dogs, so they can have fun even if it’s raining. As well as cats and dogs, the site can also lodge various birds such as parrots and Java sparrows. The hotel has been praised by guests for stocking necessary amenities for pets as well as the pet playroom, the dog run and open-air baths. They also compliment the site for creating a space where dogs can still enjoy themselves even if it’s raining, and for providing rooms where you can take your pets and have fun talking with the other guests.

10^th Place: “Ishinoue” – A villa with rooms all equipped with open-air baths

The final site is in Shizuoka Prefecture, which welcomes dogs, rabbits, ferrets, cats and more. It’s a particularly cat-friendly hotel as it comes with “cat rooms” too. Ishinoue has been commented for the staff’s attentive interactions and communication and as a wonderful experience for people staying overnight with their pets for the first time. The food has also been applauded for being delicious and the cat rooms as a welcome addition for spending a pleasant time with pet cats.

If you’re thinking of travelling to Japan with your pet, then be sure to make use of this top 10 list to make your trip a comfortable and stress-free one.