There’s a certain magic to staying at a Japanese ryokan – a feeling of stepping back in time into a world of tatami mats, soothing hot springs, and the warmest hospitality imaginable. Picture yourself arriving at a serene inn tucked away in the mountains or a historic alley, greeted with a gentle bow and a cup of green tea. A ryokan stay is more than just accommodation, it’s an experience, – a journey into traditional Japanese culture and omotenashi.
For discerning travellers seeking authenticity and comfort, ryokans offer an escape from modern bustle into an oasis of tranquility.
In this guide, we’ll explore what makes ryokans so special, from tatami floors and futon bedding to multi-course kaiseki feasts and soothing onsens. We’ll also show how The Ryokan Collection – a curated consortium of luxury ryokans – can elevate your experience with exceptional properties, insider perks, and a concierge that turns dreams into reality.
By the end, you’ll see why a ryokan stay is the highlight of any Japan journey, and how you can plan your own unforgettable visit.
What Is a Ryokan (and How Is It Different from a Hotel)?
A ryokan (旅館) is a traditional Japanese inn that offers an immersive cultural stay, quite unlike a standard hotel. Ryokans have been part of Japanese travel culture for centuries, providing weary travelers with a place to rest, bathe, and dine.
What sets them apart from Western-style hotels is their emphasis on Japanese tradition and personal hospitality.
The main differences and features of a ryokan:
Tatami-Matted Rooms
Ryokan guest rooms are typically floored with tatami (woven straw mats) instead of a carpet. You’ll usually find low furniture or no furniture at all – during the day, the room serves as a living/sitting space, and in the evening, staff will set out futon bedding directly on the tatami.
Walls and doors may be sliding shoji screens (wood and paper panels) that lend an airy, tranquil ambiance. This minimalist setup creates a calm, zen-like environment that reflects traditional aesthetics.
Futon Bedding
Instead of Western beds, ryokans provide plush futon mattresses that are laid out on the tatami floor at night. These futons, along with comforters and pillows, are typically stored in the closet during the day and arranged by the ryokan staff in the evening as part of the service. Sleeping on a futon in a ryokan room – perhaps with the sound of a nearby garden or river outside – is a uniquely cosy experience. Don’t worry, futons are very comfortable and you’ll wake up refreshed. (In the morning, staff will fold and put away the futon to convert the space back to a sitting room.)
Kaiseki Dining
Most ryokans include dinner and breakfast in your stay, often served in-room or in a private dining area. Dinner is usually a kaiseki meal – an elaborate, multi-course affair with beautifully arranged dishes that highlight local and seasonal specialties.
This is Japanese haute cuisine at its finest: you might enjoy fresh sashimi, mountain vegetables, premium Wagyu beef, delicate broths, and artful small plates, each course more exquisite than the last. The meal is not just about dining but it is a curated experience reflecting the region’s terroir and culinary traditions.
Onsen Baths
A hallmark of many ryokans is the presence of an onsen, or natural hot spring bath. Ryokans in hot spring regions pipe geothermally heated mineral water into communal bathing areas (segregated by gender) or private baths. Sinking into these warm waters while gazing at a Zen rock garden or forest view is incredibly relaxing – a perfect way to unwind after a day of sightseeing.
Even ryokans without onsen often have large ofuro (deep soaking tubs) for guests to use. Bathing etiquette is important: you’ll rinse off and scrub thoroughly before entering the shared bath, and enjoy the soak clean, quiet, and typically in the nude (bathing suits are not common in traditional onsens).
One important note—visible tattoos are often frowned upon in public onsens due to long-standing cultural associations with the yakuza. While attitudes are slowly changing, some facilities may still deny entry. It’s always best to check in advance, cover tattoos with skin-safe patches, or look for tattoo-friendly establishments that explicitly welcome all guests.
Some luxury ryokans offer private onsen tubs en suite or rentable by the hour (if you prefer privacy).
Yukata Robes & Amenities
Upon check-in, guests are usually provided with a yukata, a comfortable cotton kimono-style robe, to wear around the ryokan. You can change into yukata and slippers shortly after arrival – it’s acceptable to wear them to dinner and around the property.
High-end ryokans provide many in-room amenities reflecting Japanese hospitality: a tea set with local green tea, snacks (like wagashi sweets) to welcome you, toiletries often made from natural ingredients, and sometimes a tokonoma (alcove) in your room displaying a seasonal flower arrangement or hanging scroll to set a refined mood.
A Sensory Journey You’ll Never Forget
In essence, staying at a ryokan is like staying in a Japanese home, but with the full service of attentive hosts. It’s a chance to experience Japanese customs up close – from removing your shoes at the entrance (slippers are provided to protect those delicate tatami mats) to saying “itadakimasu” before your beautifully presented meal.
Whereas a hotel stay might feel uniform anywhere in the world, a ryokan stay is deeply connected to Japan’s culture and locale – offering warmth, charm, and often a personal touch from owners and staff who may have run the inn for generations.
A ryokan stay engages all the senses – the smell of tatami and hinoki wood, the taste of umami-rich broths, the sight of a meticulously raked garden or a steam-covered hot spring, the touch of a silky yukata, and the sounds of nature and distant shamisen music. It’s an experience that lingers in your memory long after you check out, because it’s so different from ordinary hotels.
A Brief History of the Ryokan Tradition
The story of the ryokan stretches back over a millennium, evolving alongside Japan’s cultural, political, and architectural developments. These inns have served travellers through centuries of pilgrimage, trade, and leisure, retaining their signature hospitality while adapting to the needs of each era.
Nara Period (710–794)
The earliest known ryokan is the Nishiyama Onsen Keiunkan in Yamanashi Prefecture, which holds the Guinness World Record as the world’s oldest hotel. Founded in 705 A.D., this inn welcomed weary lords, monks, and traders seeking respite in hot spring waters. Ryokans during this time were basic yet functional, offering warm food and communal baths.
Heian Period (794–1185)
With the blossoming of aristocratic culture centered in Kyoto, hospitality began to refine. Inns near temples and pilgrimage sites grew in popularity, offering lodging for spiritual seekers and monks. The architecture during this period embraced shinden-zukuri style—marked by grand wooden structures and open layouts.
Edo Period (1603–1868)
Ryokans flourished along the Tōkaidō and Nakasendō routes – the key highways that connected Edo (modern Tokyo) with Kyoto. These travel routes were busy with daimyo, samurai, and merchants, and the demand for lodging increased. Ryokans developed into more structured enterprises, with distinct roles such as the okami (innkeeper) managing operations.
Designs incorporated tatami flooring, sliding doors, and communal baths, becoming more formalised. This period also gave rise to onsen towns, where ryokans integrated healing hot springs into their appeal.
Meiji Period (1868–1912)
Japan’s rapid modernisation brought railways and increased domestic tourism. Ryokans began to blend traditional aesthetics with some Western conveniences while still keeping a strong connection to their cultural roots.
The Meiji era also saw a boom in art and culinary refinement, which influenced kaiseki ryōri, the elegant multi-course dining experience offered in ryokans today.
Post-War Period (1945–1970s)
Following WWII, ryokans adjusted to a new kind of traveller—urban families and foreign guests. Some modernised further, introducing private baths, elevators, and new materials, while others doubled down on preserving traditional appeal. This era planted the seeds for what would become luxury ryokans.
Modern Era (1980s–Today)
Senjuan Tanigawa Onsen / 谷川温泉. Image Credit: The Ryokan Collection
Contemporary ryokans often maintain all the core elements—tatami, futon, onsen, and kaiseki—while elevating them with boutique design, artistic flourishes, and high-touch service.
Today’s ryokans range from centuries-old family-run inns to architecturally innovative retreats in forests, mountains, and seaside towns.
Omotenashi: The Heart of Ryokan Hospitality
One word you’ll often hear in relation to ryokans is omotenashi. Loosely translated, omotenashi means “Japanese hospitality,” but it’s deeper than just service – it’s a philosophy of selfless care for guests. In Japan, omotenashi is about anticipating guests’ needs and offering the utmost respect and polite attention, without ever being intrusive or expecting anything in return. Nowhere is this more exemplified than in a well-run Japanese ryokan.
How Ryokan Staff Make You Feel at Home
The Little Gestures and The Lasting Impressions
From the moment you arrive, a ryokan staff’s mission is to make you feel at home and pampered. Omotenashi can be felt in countless little gestures: the way the nakai-san (a polite and respectful way to refer to a female attendant or server) remembers how you take your tea, or how the okami (female innkeeper, often the owner or the face of the ryokan) might personally greet you and bid you goodnight.
It’s in the timing of each dinner course brought to your room, precisely as you finish the last, so you’re never kept waiting or interrupted too soon. It’s in the impeccable cleanliness and artistry of your room – perhaps they’ve placed a heating bottle under your futon to warm it on a winter night, or left a birthday note if they noticed your passport shows an upcoming birthday.
Omotenashi is also about sincerity
There is a famous saying in Japan that true hospitality involves “ichigo ichie”, roughly “one time, one meeting,” meaning every encounter with a guest is a unique, precious moment to be cherished.
Ryokan staff embody this by giving genuine care and attention to each guest as if they are family. For example, if you’re curious about local culture, they might happily engage in conversation about the history of the inn or the festivals that are celebrated in the community; if you have dietary restrictions, they’ll likely have already adjusted your menu.
Why Guests Keep Coming Back
Hiiragiya Kyoto / 京都. Image credit: The Ryokan Collection
At Hiiragiya in Kyoto (operated by the same family for six generations since 1818), the motto is that guests should feel “as if they are coming home”.
This sentiment rings true across ryokans – they strive to create a home-away-from-home for visitors. And indeed, many ryokan patrons become repeat guests, returning for anniversaries or family gatherings, because of the heartfelt connections they form with the hosts.
It’s The Little Things That Matter: Omotenashi in Action
In practical terms, omotenashi means you can relax and trust that everything will be handled smoothly. Need transport to the train station tomorrow? The front desk will arrange it and have your bags sent ahead. Have a special request for a surprise cake for your travel partner? They will prepare it wholeheartedly.
The beauty of omotenashi is that needs are already anticipated before they’re spoken, without expecting anything in return. You might find an umbrella by the door if rain is expected, or an extra futon if you casually mentioned in passing that you prefer a softer bed. This level of care, delivered so humbly, is what leaves many travellers deeply moved after a ryokan stay.
Omotenashi is the soul of the ryokan experience—the warmth and the attention to detail that make you feel not just like a paying customer, but an honoured guest in someone’s home. It’s a big reason why a night at a ryokan can be transformative. As the saying goes, “arrive as a guest, leave as a friend.”
Final Thoughts
Hiiragiya Kyoto / 京都. Image credit: The Ryokan Collection
A night at a ryokan is so much more than a night’s rest – it’s a pause from the noise, a reconnection with the quiet details of life, and a window into the spirit of Japan itself. From the comforting scent of tatami mats to the soulful rituals of kaiseki dining and the silent attentiveness of omotenashi, every element of the ryokan experience is steeped in tradition, warmth, and care.
For those yearning not just to visit Japan, but to feel it – to be touched by its culture, nourished by its food, and embraced by its hospitality – a ryokan offers that once-in-a-lifetime magic. But where do you begin?
If you’re curious about the finest ryokans in Japan—places that blend centuries-old tradition with modern comfort—then don’t miss our follow-up guide:
The Ryokan Collection: Curating Japan’s Finest Inns – a look at Japan’s most luxurious ryokans, handpicked for their excellence in service, design, and authenticity. Whether you’re planning a milestone trip or your very first stay, this is where your dream ryokan getaway begins.
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