Why Japan should be the next location for The White Lotus.

After three wildly successful seasons—in Hawaii, Sicily and Thailand—The White Lotus has cemented itself as a sharp, funny, and often unsettling mirror held up to elite travelers - many of whom seem never to leave the resort. 

Each season brings not just a new Four Seasons hotel, but an entire ecosystem of privilege, tension, and cultural collision. Although the show’s next location has yet to be announced, we think Japan would be the most compelling—and thematically rich—destination for The White Lotus to dive into next. Japan has the kind of beautiful contradictions and Instagrammable aesthetics that The White Lotus thrives on.

The Set

The White Lotus offers more than just good writing—it’s visually lush and atmospheric with many of the best shots featuring the resort itself. There are four Four Seasons hotels in Japan, any one of which would be a stunning set (and home away from home for the cast):

Otemachi, Tokyo - with stunning vistas of the Imperial Palace, the main residence of the Japanese Emperor, a significant cultural and historical site, and a large park-like area with gardens and historical ruins.

Marunouchi, Tokyo - directly across from historic Tokyo station with its beautiful architecture and views of bullet trains speeding off to all parts of Japan. 

Osaka - with its ryokan room floor for guests who outwardly espouse immersion into Japanese culture…but inwardly desire home comforts.  

Kyoto - sublimely set on the grounds of an 800 year-old tea house and pond garden, there is a strong sense of stepping back in time her

Beyond the hotel

Japan offers a dreamlike cinematic landscape that easily rivals the cliffs of Sicily or the beaches of Maui or the jungle of Koh Samui; Japan looks good on camera. It’s easy to envision evocative shots of a monk painstakingly raking Ryoan-ji rock garden, elusive Mt Fuji hovering over the megalopolis of Tokyo early on a clear morning, commuters in the human river of ultra-busy Shibuya crossing at rush hour, or cherry blossoms opening on the 4000 plus trees in Osaka Castle Park. 

Culture 

One of the key elements that makes The White Lotus so compelling is how the guests interact with the culture of the host country. Cue entitled Western guests oblivious to Japan’s deep-rooted emphasis on respect, good manners, and restraint. The clash of Western individualism vs Japanese collectivism, or emotional openness vs social formality, is fertile ground for both subtle satire and explosive drama between guests and locals.

Nuance

Japan isn’t just a country. It’s an aesthetic. A feeling. A mood board. White Lotus is all about hidden messages and easter eggs. Picture these ominous symbols as leitmotif: beautiful but fleeting cherry blossoms slowly falling to the ground or a bullet train hurtling toward a dark tunnel at 200mph. 

Fashion

The clothing in White Lotus is next level; some viewers are drawn to the show, in large part, for the fashion.  From designer garb displayed on toned beach bodies in white Lotus Maui and Thailand to Portia’s chaotic but compelling fits in White Lotus Sicily, the White Lotus costume designer team constantly produces apparel that delights viewers. Fashion in Japan is a whole spectrum from elegant silk kimono to out there streetwear. How fun to have that showcased across 8 episodes. 

Food

Rich people eating - and drinking - is White Lotus’s unofficial sport. Japanese cuisine, be it teppanyaki enjoyed around a sizzling griddle, or a multi-course kaiseki meal where each tiny portion is exquisitely plated to please the eye as well as the palate, or a steaming bowl of ramen enjoyed on the fly, can be a focal point for all sorts of interaction between characters.  

While Mike White might never choose Japan for a White Lotus location, Purposeful Travel is able to curate an award-winning Japan trip in which you will be the star.