From the time Josh Hutcherson was 9 years outdated, he has taken Hollywood by storm, starring in movies like “Little Manhattan” (2005), “Bridge to Terabithia” (2007), and “Journey to the Middle of the Earth” (2008), main as much as his best-known function in The Starvation Video games franchise as Peeta Mellark, a personality he’s reportedly reprising within the 2026 prequel, “Dawn on the Reaping.” This 12 months has been no exception, as he is capped it off with each the HBO comedy collection I Love L.A. and the movie “5 Nights at Freddy’s 2.” So, when he does have a second of downtime, he prefers to lean into serenity. 

“My life may be very chaotic, so once I get time to truly journey, I need to disconnect from all of it,” the 33-year-old actor instructed Journey + Leisure. “I do not wish to overbook issues or plan issues out an excessive amount of. I like to choose neighborhoods and sit in a park or sq. and simply take within the life round me.”

That philosophy paired completely with a latest go to to the Japanese mountain city Nikko, two hours north of Tokyo. It is an space recognized for its serene landscapes, inviting onsens, and meditative temples. There, he filmed the second brief movie of his collaboration with The Ritz-Carlton and Madrid style model Late Checkout, produced by Little Spain.

“I’ve idolized Japanese tradition—the style, meals, music, and all of it—my entire life,” he mentioned, having final visited when he was about 13 through the “Bridge to Terabithia” press tour. “To go there as an grownup and benefit from the scene was simply nice.”

Filming completely inside The Ritz-Carlton, Nikko—residence to the luxurious model’s solely sizzling springs—he helped showcase the collaboration’s capsule assortment, donning gadgets just like the RC hoodie ($260), brief parka ($390), and emblem gown ($360), amongst others.

The zen 6-minute movie adopted the first chapter, the place he performed a doting concierge at The Ritz-Carlton, Hong Kong. “That was unbelievable, but it surely’s a metropolis, and we shot contained in the lodge for six days straight,” he mentioned of the debut brief that received a 2025 Cannes Lions Gold Lion. “What’s nice about this one is that we actually acquired to get out into nature and breathe it in.”

The venture took him to a trio of Ritz-Carlton properties—all with distinct energies. The “magical forest vibes” in Nikko took “a complete gear shift” when he acquired to Tokyo, whereas Kyoto was “an in-between with temples and delightful locations.”

The artwork of gradual journey is one which Hutcherson has embraced, right down to its particulars. “As quickly as I get right into a lodge room, I unpack all the pieces as a result of I need to really feel like I am dwelling there,” he mentioned of instantly designating drawers for underwear, socks, T-shirts, and pants for any keep longer than one night time. “My girlfriend finds it aggravating as a result of you must repack it. However I am like, it is effective.”

He additionally units the vibe by all the time touring with incense, often “Nag Champa as a result of my grandpa used to all the time have that lit.” He additionally picked up some containers of Japanese incense when he was in Kyoto as a result of he discovered the scents “superior.”

When he is not on set, the Kentucky-born actor now splits his time between Los Angeles and Madrid, since his longtime girlfriend Claudia Traisac is Spanish. 

“Madrid is so wonderful,” he mentioned. “It’s such a walkable metropolis—it’s this main European metropolis, but it surely feels very manageable.” For first-time guests, he recommends letting the journey unfold and “getting misplaced” in neighborhoods like La Latina, Malasaña, Justicia, and Opera. “Stumble throughout an incredible cafe and a sq. to sit down in, and simply have some sangria and tapas.” He additionally raves in regards to the Spanish capital’s artwork museums, notably Museo Nacional del Prado, Museo Nacional Thyssen-Bornemisza, and Museo Reina Sofía, that are all “next-level.”

“However for me, the one factor I really like about Madrid a lot is that go-with-the-flow feeling that you simply by no means know what’s gonna occur,” the Spanish-speaking star mentioned. “You run into some folks on the road, they’re going to be like, ‘Hey, let’s go over there.’ Then you definately go over there. There’s a continuing motion within the metropolis that’s very cool.” 

Hutcherson has additionally just lately been spotlighting the approach to life of his different residence on I Love L.A., which premiered final month. He admitted the Southern California site visitors may be difficult for guests, however that it’s additionally a very good time to placed on a brand new album or hearken to a podcast. “You possibly can’t let it stress you out,” he mentioned. “It’s simply a part of existence—and you’ll’t escape it.”

The trick? Selecting a couple of neighborhoods, parking there, and simply having fun with the realm earlier than occurring to the subsequent—and all the time ensuring you could have reservations, he mentioned. Amongst his favorites are the eastside enclaves of Silver Lake, Echo Park, Highland Park, Mount Washington, Downtown, and Chinatown, the final of which he mentioned is “popping off proper now with some actually good eating places and bars.” 

His work usually takes him away from these residence bases, giving him the chance to experience new locations. “I really like once you go someplace to shoot, and also you form of really feel such as you get to stay there for a protracted time period,” he mentioned. “It is a good expertise.” His favorites embrace a few of his earliest, like New Zealand, the place he filmed “Bridge to Terabithia,” and Iceland for components of “Journey to the Middle of the Earth.”

And naturally, there was North Carolina, the place The Starvation Video games trilogy was filmed. “I’m an enormous fan of Asheville,” Hutcherson mentioned, particularly of its “nice meals and wonderful mountains.” Whereas there, he loved experiencing the Blue Ridge Parkway, which he known as “unbelievable,” and frequented the “nice breakfast spot” Early Lady Eatery and Asheville Retrocade. 

However irrespective of the place his adventures take him, Hutcherson is all about taking within the moments that matter most, particularly now that he has a twin European and American view of journey. “A variety of my American associates are inclined to over-plan and be like, now we have one hour to go to this museum,” he mentioned. “It’s like, chill. In my expertise, a few of my European associates are usually extra open to flowing—that’s a fairly large distinction.”