Sleeping The Japanese Way: A Guide To Ryokan Stays Across Japan

Ryokans are traditional Japanese inns where you sleep on tatami mats, eat kaiseki meals, and soak in onsen baths, often all in the same stay. You’ll also be expected to follow a few simple customs, from taking your shoes off at the entrance to keeping your voice down in shared spaces and wearing a yukata around the property.

Nishimuraya Honkan (Kinosaki Onsen)

Nishimuraya Honkan is a distinguished traditional ryokan located in the heart of Kinosaki Onsen in Hyogo Prefecture. Operating for more than 165 years since the late Edo period, it is regarded as one of the finest ryokan in the San’in region and is recognised by the Michelin Guide for its exceptional hospitality and authentic atmosphere.

Accommodation & Dining

The ryokan features elegant Japanese-style rooms with tatami flooring, futon bedding, and views across a beautifully landscaped central garden. Dining centres on seasonal kaiseki cuisine, with regional specialities including Tajima beef and, during winter, the celebrated Matsuba snow crab, often served in the privacy of guests’ rooms.

Onsen Experience

Nishimuraya Honkan offers both private and shared hot spring baths on-site, designed in a traditional Japanese style. Guests also receive complimentary access to Kinosaki Onsen’s seven historic public bathhouses, allowing for a complete onsen-hopping experience within the town.

Practical Information

• Address: 469 Kinosaki-cho Yushima, Toyooka, Hyogo Prefecture, Japan

• Best Time to Visit: Winter, especially during snow crab season

• Check-in / Check-out: 3:00 PM / 11:00 AM

• Additional Charges: Bathing fee and bathing tax payable locally

Hoshinoya Kyoto

Hoshinoya Kyoto sits on a quiet stretch of the Oi River in Arashiyama, away from the busier parts of the district. The ryokan is reached by a short boat ride from near Togetsu-kyo Bridge and is set within a restored traditional property surrounded by woodland and river views.

Accommodation & Dining

The ryokan has 25 guest rooms, each with views of the river or nearby hillsides. Rooms combine traditional features such as tatami flooring and sliding screens with modern comforts. Dining focuses on seasonal kaiseki cuisine prepared with ingredients sourced from Kyoto and the surrounding region.

Experience & Amenities

Life at Hoshinoya Kyoto moves at a slower pace. Guests can soak in cypress wood baths, sit beside the river with a book, or take part in activities such as tea ceremonies and morning meditation. The setting, particularly during cherry blossom season and autumn, is a large part of the experience.

Practical Information

Address: Arashiyama, Nishikyo Ward, Kyoto, Japan

Best Time to Visit: Cherry blossom season and autumn foliage months

Check-in / Check-out: Standard luxury ryokan timings apply

Additional Charges: Private boat transfer and select cultural activities may incur additional fees

Gora Kadan

Gora Kadan is a long-established luxury ryokan in Hakone, Japan, set on the grounds of a former imperial family summer villa. Surrounded by the mountains of Fuji-Hakone-Izu National Park, the property combines traditional Japanese architecture with modern comforts in a quiet, secluded setting.

Accommodation & Dining

Rooms follow a classic ryokan layout, with tatami floors, paper sliding doors, and wide windows overlooking the hills. Some rooms come with their own open-air hot spring bath. Dinner is usually a seasonal kaiseki meal, served course by course and often brought directly to the room.

Experience & Amenities

The ryokan has both public and private hot-spring baths, along with a spa, indoor swimming pool, jacuzzi, and fitness facilities. Service is highly personalised, with staff providing station transfers and round-the-clock assistance. Nearby attractions include the Hakone Open-Air Museum, Lake Ashi, and Hakone Shrine.

Practical Information

Address: Gora, Hakone-machi, Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan

Best Time to Visit: Autumn foliage season and spring months

Check-in / Check-out: Standard luxury ryokan timings apply

Additional Charges: Private spa use and select services may incur additional fees

Asaba (Shuzenji Onsen)

Asaba is a long-established luxury ryokan in Shuzenji Onsen, set quietly along the Katsura River in Izu. Founded in 1489 and still operated by the same family, it is known for its calm atmosphere, refined hospitality, and its distinctive cultural setting centred around water and gardens.

Accommodation & Dining

The ryokan has a small number of rooms, each with a traditional layout and modern comforts. Many look out over the pond or surrounding greenery, and some include private onsen baths. Meals are multi-course kaiseki dinners, focused on seasonal ingredients and presented in an elegant, slow-paced style.

Experience & Amenities

A defining feature is the Noh stage set on a pond, which is sometimes used for performances. Guests can also enjoy natural hot spring baths, both indoor and open-air, surrounded by trees and water. The ryokan is close to Shuzenji Temple and walking paths through bamboo groves.

Practical Information

Address: Shuzenji, Izu City, Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan

Best Time to Visit: Spring and autumn months

Check-in / Check-out: Standard luxury ryokan timings apply

Additional Charges: High-end pricing, usually per person per night

Konuka-Yakushi Temple (Kyoto)

Konuka-Yakushi Temple House is a small stay attached to an active temple in Kyoto’s Nakagyo ward. The entrance is easy to miss if you’re not looking for it, tucked into a quiet residential street with little of the usual tourist movement nearby. Once inside, it doesn’t really feel like a hotel or even a typical ryokan—it comes across more like staying in a spare part of a working home, with the temple just next door going about its day.

Accommodation & Dining

Rooms are in a converted temple building with tatami mats and futon bedding laid out in the traditional way. Nothing is especially polished or formal here, but everything you need is in place—heating, air conditioning, Wi-Fi, and a private bathroom. If you want breakfast, it’s usually arranged in advance and tends to be simple home-style food rather than anything structured or ceremonial.

Experience & Amenities

The rhythm of the temple next door is hard to ignore—you hear it in small ways throughout the day. If you’re around at the right time, you might catch morning prayers starting up, or just the general movement of people through the grounds. Bicycles are sometimes available, which makes it easier to get across Kyoto without planning too much. The host is usually nearby as well, and tends to help with practical things like directions or where to eat in the area.

Practical Information

Address: Nakagyo-ku Daikoku-cho 694-1, Kyoto, Japan

Best Time to Visit: Spring and autumn

Check-in / Check-out: Flexible guesthouse-style timings

Additional Charges: Base stay rate, with breakfast or extras arranged separately if needed

FAQs

What is a ryokan?
A ryokan is a traditional Japanese inn offering a cultural stay, usually with tatami rooms, futon bedding, hot spring baths, and seasonal kaiseki meals.

Do you need to remove your shoes?
Yes. Shoes are taken off at the entrance (genkan) and replaced with indoor slippers or socks provided by the ryokan.

Can you wear slippers on tatami floors?
No. Tatami mats should only be walked on in socks or barefoot to avoid damage and keep them clean.

How should you use an onsen?
Wash thoroughly before entering the bath. Do not wear swimwear or underwear, keep towels out of the water, and maintain a quiet, respectful atmosphere.

What is the correct way to wear a yukata?
A yukata is worn left side over right, and is typically used for relaxing, sleeping, or walking around the ryokan.

What should you keep in mind during your stay?
Keep noise levels low in shared spaces, switch to toilet slippers only inside bathrooms, and arrive before 6 pm if dinner is included.