If Tokyo is tasked with representing the future, while Kyoto carries the weight of the past, then maybe Osaka can be free to simply be itself. Hotel Noum Osaka eschews high concept in favor of what might be the defining feature of present-day Japan: unpretentious excellence. The rooms are minimalist and modest but invitingly warm and reassuringly comfortable; some face the Okawa river, while others sleep up to four in a pair of bunk beds. There’s a versatile café and lounge serving a made-to-order breakfast and an all-day light menu, and pouring brews roasted by Tokyo’s highly regarded Berth Coffee.