How to choose and enjoy your first ryokan
Tatami, onsen and kaiseki: what to expect in a traditional Japanese inn, and how to pick one.
What a ryokan is
A ryokan is a traditional Japanese inn. Rooms have tatami floors and sliding paper screens; futons are laid out at night; and dinner and breakfast, often a seasonal kaiseki menu, are usually part of the stay. Many have baths filled from hot springs, called onsen.
How to choose
- Private bath or shared? If you're shy about communal bathing, choose a room with its own bath.
- Meals: check whether dinner is served in your room or a dining room, and mention dietary needs early.
- Setting: riverside, mountain or city; rural inns are often the most atmospheric.
- Beds: some modern ryokan offer raised beds if futons are uncomfortable for you.
Etiquette in a few lines
- Take off shoes at the entrance and use the slippers provided, but never on tatami.
- Wear the yukata (cotton robe) left side over right.
- Wash thoroughly before entering a bath, and keep towels out of the water.
- Dinner times are fixed; arrive on time.
Our pick
Hoshinoya Kyoto blends ryokan tradition with modern comfort, including raised beds, and is reached by boat up the Oi River.