Stepping through the entrance of a Japanese ryokan feels like traveling back in time. The subtle scent of tatami, the gentle sliding of wooden doors and hushed atmosphere introduce a peaceful and historic stay. Unlike a standard modern hotel, a ryokan immerses you in centuries of Japanese tradition while pampering you with meticulous attention to detail.
For first-time visitors to Japan, staying at a ryokan offers an authentic cultural experience far beyond what you’d find in even the most luxurious Western-style accommodation. The experience, however, comes with its own customs and etiquette that might leave the uninitiated feeling slightly overwhelmed. Here is everything you need to know about staying at a traditional Japanese ryokan, ensuring your experience is as enriching and stress-free as possible.
Introduction: The Cultural Significance of a Ryokan
The Main Differences Between a Ryokan and a Hotel
A ryokan isn’t simply Japan’s version of a hotel — it’s an institution with deep cultural roots. While modern hotels focus primarily on providing a comfortable place to sleep, a ryokan offers a complete cultural package centered around traditional hospitality, communal bathing, exceptional cuisine and a peaceful atmosphere.
The experience begins with omotenashi, the uniquely Japanese approach to hospitality that anticipates guests’ needs before they even realize them. This philosophy guides every interaction, creating a level of service that feels both attentive and unobtrusive.
The history of these establishments stretches back to the Edo period, when they served as rest houses for traveling samurai and merchants along Japan’s highways. Some of the oldest operating inns in Japan have histories spanning over 1,300 years, passing their traditions down through dozens of generations.
From modest family-run businesses to lavish luxury properties, ryokan all share core elements that have remained consistent for centuries: tatami-floored rooms, communal or private hot spring baths and elaborate kaiseki meals that showcase seasonal ingredients.
Before You Go: Choosing and Booking the Right Ryokan
Different Types
There are various styles and price points, each offering a slightly different experience:
Traditional Ryokan: These maintain the most authentic experience, with minimal modern conveniences and the strictest adherence to traditional customs. Expect shared bathrooms, communal dining and a highly structured schedule.
Onsen Ryokan: Located in hot spring areas, these establishments feature natural hot spring baths as their main attraction. Some have private in-room baths, while others focus on luxurious communal bathing facilities with indoor and outdoor options.
Modern or Luxury Ryokan: These blend traditional elements with contemporary comforts. They typically offer more spacious rooms, private bathrooms and Western-style beds alongside futons. The kaiseki meals are often more innovative, sometimes incorporating Western influences.
Minshuku: These are more affordable, family-run versions of a ryokan, similar to a bed and breakfast. The experience is more intimate but with fewer amenities and simpler meals.
Hakone
Popular Ryokan Near Tokyo for a Weekend Getaway
You don’t need to travel far from Tokyo to experience a traditional ryokan stay. There are several easily accessible options that make for the perfect weekend escape from the capital.
Hakone: Just 90 minutes from Tokyo by train, this mountainous hot spring region offers some delightful accommodation options with stunning views of Mount Fuji and Lake Ashi. Established properties like Gora Kadan and Yama no Chaya provide exceptional service and private onsen baths.
Nikko: About two hours from Tokyo, this region combines cultural attractions with beautiful ryokan options. Kanaya Hotel Kinugawa and Okunoin Hotel Tokugawa offer traditional places to stay with modern comforts.
Izu Peninsula: This coastal region provides ryokan with ocean views and seafood-focused kaiseki meals. Easily reached within three hours from Tokyo, spots like Atagawa and Shuzenji offer distinctive hot spring experiences.
What To Pack and Prepare
Pack light for your ryokan stay, as most essentials will be provided:
- Lightweight, easily removable shoes (you’ll be taking them on and off frequently).
- Comfortable casual clothes for lounging.
- Swimwear (only if your ryokan has a “swimsuit-allowed” bath, which is uncommon).
- Any personal toiletries (though basics are usually provided).
- A small gift for the staff (optional but appreciated).
- Cash (smaller ryokan might not accept credit cards).
Most importantly, come with an open mind and willingness to adapt to a different pace of life.
Your Ryokan Room: The Traditional Japanese Space
Tatami Rooms and Futon Bedding
Your ryokan room will likely feature wall-to-wall tatami mat flooring made from woven rush grass over compressed rice straw. These natural mats give off a distinctive, pleasant scent and feel springy underfoot. Always remove slippers before stepping onto the tatami.
Unlike Western hotels with permanent beds, traditional ryokan transform your room throughout the day. During daytime hours, you’ll find a low table with floor cushions (zabuton) for relaxing and enjoying tea. While you’re at dinner, staff will discreetly enter to lay out your futon bedding directly on the tatami floor.
These futons are different from Western convertible sofas — they consist of a bottom padded mattress and fluffy comforters with clean, crisp linens. Many visitors find them surprisingly comfortable, though those with back issues might want to request extra padding.
Common Features and Amenities
Most ryokan rooms include:
Tokonoma: A small alcove displaying seasonal flower arrangements, calligraphy scrolls, or art pieces that are changed regularly to reflect the seasons.
Yukata and Tanzen: You’ll find cotton yukata robes provided for all guests to wear throughout your stay — not just in your room but throughout the ryokan and sometimes even in the surrounding town. In cooler months, a tanzen (padded jacket) may also be provided.
Tea Set: A hot water thermos, tea leaves, cups and traditional sweets are typically set out for you to enjoy at your leisure.
Low Table and Zabuton: Floor cushions arranged around a low table serve as your dining and relaxation space.
Sliding Doors: Rooms typically feature fusuma (opaque sliding doors) and shoji (translucent paper screens) that filter natural light beautifully.
The Changing Role of Your Room Throughout the Day
One of the most distinctive aspects of a ryokan stay is how your room transforms to serve different functions:
Morning: A serene space for breakfast and tea, with futons stored away.
Daytime: A living area with a low table as the focal point.
Evening: First a dining room for an elaborate dinner, then transformed into a bedroom with futons laid out.
Staff coordinate these transformations discreetly while you’re bathing or dining, maintaining the room’s perfect order throughout your stay.
The Onsen Experience: Hot Spring Bathing
Public vs. Private Baths
The onsen (hot spring bath) experience is central to most ryokan stays, offering therapeutic mineral waters and a cherished cultural ritual.
Public Baths (Daiyokujo): Most ryokan feature gender-segregated communal baths that may be indoor, outdoor (rotenburo), or both. These shared spaces are where you’ll experience the most authentic bathing culture.
Private Baths: For those uncomfortable with communal bathing, some ryokan offer:
- Kashikiri-buro: Private baths that can be reserved for exclusive use, typically for between 30 and 60 minutes.
- In-room baths: Higher-end rooms may feature private open-air baths on a secluded balcony or terrace.
Step-by-Step Japanese Onsen Bath Etiquette
The bathing process follows strict protocols:
- Prepare: Bring only your small hand towel and bathing essentials to the bathing area.
- Undress completely: No swimwear is worn in a traditional onsen. Store your clothes and large towel in provided lockers or baskets.
- Wash thoroughly: Before entering the bath, sit on the small stools at washing stations and clean your body completely with soap and shampoo. Rinse thoroughly — no soap should enter the bath water.
- Enter slowly: Hot spring waters can be very hot (often 40 to 44 degrees Celsius). Enter gradually to allow your body to adjust.
- Keep your small towel out of the water: Most Japanese rest it folded on top of their head while soaking.
- Maintain tranquility: Speak quietly, if at all. The bath is for relaxation, not socializing.
- Limit your time: Don’t stay in too long, especially if you’re not accustomed to hot baths. Multiple shorter soaks are better than one extended session.
- Don’t rinse off: After leaving the bath, most Japanese don’t rinse away the mineral-rich waters before drying off and getting dressed.
Tattoo Considerations and Alternatives
Traditionally, many Japanese onsen banned visitors with tattoos because of their association with the yakuza. While attitudes are gradually changing, especially at ryokan that frequently host international guests, restrictions still exist at some establishments.
If you have tattoos, consider:
- Booking a ryokan with private baths.
- Choosing a ryokan that explicitly states it is “tattoo-friendly.”
- Using waterproof tattoo cover patches for smaller designs.
- Inquiring about designated bathing times for tattooed guests.
The Culinary Experience: Kaiseki Dining
Kaiseki ryori is a multi-course traditional Japanese dinner that represents the pinnacle of the country’s culinary art. Far more than just a meal, it’s a carefully choreographed experience that balances taste, texture, appearance and seasonality.
Each kaiseki meal typically features:
- Seven to 15 small, meticulously prepared courses.
- The freshest seasonal ingredients.
- Artistic presentation that often incorporates natural elements.
- A progression of flavors that harmonize with each other.
- Cooking techniques that highlight the natural flavors of ingredients.
No two kaiseki meals are identical, as chefs take pride in creating unique experiences based on seasonal availability and regional specialties.
Typical Dishes and Seasonal Specialties
While specific dishes vary with seasons and regions, a typical kaiseki progression might include:
- Sakizuke: An amuse-bouche that sets the tone for the meal.
- Hassun: A seasonal platter combining sushi or sashimi with small side dishes.
- Mukozuke: Sliced seasonal sashimi.
- Takiawase: Vegetables and meat or fish simmered separately but served together.
- Futamono: A lidded dish, typically a soup.
- Yakimono: Grilled dishes, often fish.
- Su-zakana: A palate cleanser.
- Shiizakana: A substantial dish, such as a hot pot.
- Gohan: Rice with seasonal ingredients.
- Ko no mono: Traditional pickled vegetables.
- Tome-wan: A miso soup serving as the final savory course.
- Mizumono: A seasonal dessert, typically lighter and less sweet than Western desserts.
Dining Etiquette and What To Expect
Kaiseki meals may be served in your room or a communal dining room. Either way, certain etiquette is expected:
- Be punctual for meals, as dishes are prepared with precise timing.
- Wait for staff to explain each dish before eating.
- Express appreciation for the food and presentation.
- Try everything, even unfamiliar items.
- Use chopsticks correctly (never sticking them vertically into rice or passing food directly to another person’s chopsticks).
- Eat at a measured pace, savoring each course.
- It’s acceptable to ask questions about unfamiliar ingredients or preparation methods.
Most ryokan accommodate dietary restrictions if notified well in advance, though flexibility is appreciated.
Check-in to Check-out: Navigating Ryokan Etiquette
Arrival Procedures and Greetings
From the moment you arrive, ryokan staff aim to make you feel welcome:
- Most ryokan prefer afternoon check-ins, typically between 3 p.m. and 5 p.m.
- Remove your shoes at the entrance (genkan) and use the provided slippers.
- Staff will offer a welcome drink and orientation while completing check-in formalities.
- Your room attendant will escort you to your room and explain its features.
- Many ryokan provide a welcome tea service in your room shortly after arrival.
Day-to-Day Etiquette During Your Stay
Throughout your stay, observe these customs for a harmonious experience:
- Wear your yukata properly (left side over right, secured with the obi sash).
- Observe quiet hours, typically beginning around 10 p.m.
- Follow bathing schedules, as some baths may alternate between men and women.
- Remove slippers before stepping onto tatami floors.
- Treat all furnishings with care, especially sliding doors and paper screens.
- Remember that your room attendant may need access to your room at specific times to prepare meals or lay out futons.
Departure Customs and Considerations
As your stay concludes:
- Check-out times are typically early, around 10 a.m.
- Some ryokan offer luggage storage if you wish to enjoy the baths or local sightseeing after check-out.
- No tipping is expected or necessary.
ginzan onsen
The Timeless Appeal of the Ryokan
In our increasingly fast-paced world, a ryokan stay offers something invaluable: a chance to step outside of time and reconnect with traditions that honor simplicity, mindfulness and harmony with nature.
While the customs and etiquette might initially seem daunting, they quickly become second nature. Most ryokan staff are understanding with international guests who are making their first forays into this traditional world.
More than just accommodation, a ryokan stay offers a window into the soul of Japanese culture — one where hospitality is elevated to an art form. It’s an experience that stays with you long after you’ve returned home.
