Here’s why Japan is becoming a hot honeymoon escape

Japan is ready for lovers. After holding on to its strict COVID travel protocols longer than most, the Land of the Rising Sun is once again saying “konnichiwa!” to American tourists. No wonder, then, that flights to Japan are among the most-searched international departures for US travelers, with the Japanese tourism board predicting a blockbuster cherry blossom season this April.

Couples looking to celebrate with a post-nuptial Nippon pilgrimage are especially in luck.

Historic, modern, luxurious, electrifying: Japan offers contrasts that appeal equally to those who want to imbibe a storied culture and those who want to bathe in the romance of a luxury hotel suite.

For New Yorkers looking to fly direct, a Japanese adventure starts in Tokyo, and couples hoping to get “Lost in Translation” will want to check into the Park Hyatt in bustling Shinjuku City.

Don’t be put off by its austere salaryman facade and administrative surrounds, because there’s plenty of romance to be found there.

Not only is it the location for the aforementioned 2003 Sofia Coppola-directed Scarlett Johansson and Bill Murray hit, but its famously sultry and atmospheric jazz lounge (where Japanese whiskey tastings are a must), in-house pâtisserie and sprawling suites will make you fall in love.

Its top room, aptly dubbed the Tokyo Suite, is more than 2,000 square feet of moody elegance. Amenities include a grand piano, a library, a sauna and a jetted tub — and it will set you back roughly $7,738 per night.

For a slightly different take on the metropolis, head to Trunk (House), which opened in 2019 but is only now getting its post-pandemic due.

This former geisha dwelling — located in the artsy and historic Kagurazaka neighborhood — was transformed into a townhouse-style hotel that remains a discreet affair.

Inside, the 15-room boutique hotel shows off custom design pieces and artwork mixed with preserved historic elements, like a stone genkan-style entry, terrazzo floors, paper screens, wood panel ceilings and stained glass.

The feel is residential, but the amenities are pure high-end hotel. Bask in the tea room, garden, aromatic Japanese cypress bathtubs, artisanal beauty products and “the world’s smallest disco” (an in-house karaoke hangout). Better still, your stay includes a private chef and a butler. Rates start at roughly $4,616 per night.

But to really get hot and heavy with your spouse, you’ll need to venture outside the big smoke and go soak in the hot springs.

Thanks to Japan’s volcanically active earth, there are some 25,000 hot spring sources throughout the country, pumping hot mineral water into about 3,000 establishments, according to Anette Masui, author of “Sacred Waters: A Guide to Japanese Hot Springs.”

Hot springs facilities, or “onsen,” are especially abundant in Kyushu, the southwestern-most of Japan’s main islands. Just under six hours from Tokyo, the island is linked by an ultra-efficient and newly extended Shinkansen bullet train, making travel sweet and snappy.

A good bet is to set up base for your onsen-hopping in the resort and rice terrace hub of Oita, at the foot of Takasaki mountain. Hotels can organize trips to and from the best baths, from Hell’s Onsen (where the scalding temperatures prevent bathing) to Yufuin Onsen (known for its naturally moisturizing minerals).

Its ritziest new opening is Hoshino Resorts’ Kai Yufuin, which welcomed its first guests in August. It features multiple indoor-outdoor hot spring baths on-site. Newlyweds will love the private sawtooth oak rooms with personal hot spring baths.

Designed by renowned Japanese architect Kengo Kuma, the 45-room hotel is a contemporary take on a traditional ryokan — a Japanese inn with hot spring baths — featuring freestanding suites. Rates start at $268 per person per night.

Cap off your stay on Kyushu with a trip to its scenic outer Goto Islands in the prefecture of Nagasaki. Known for lush mountains and blue seas, the largest of these 152 islets is Fukue Island, where luxury hotel operator OKCS opened its wellness-themed Retreat Goto Ray last summer.

The three-story resort features 26 oceanfront rooms, each with an open-air bath. Built around the concepts of “prayer” and “light,” this resort is all about the spa, which incorporates a flowering camellia, a plant that’s been grown in the region for millennia. Room rates start at $396 per night. You’ll come home saying “domo arigato!” with vibrato.