Ryokan - Traditional Japanese Inn

Ryokan's origins can be said to date back to Edo era, (1603-1868) when they served travellers on popular roads. Ryokan usually consists tatami room, shared bath and space where guests can socialize, wearing yukata. Often in the vicinity of ryokan, there is Japanese garden where visitors can relax and walk wearing provided getas.

Rooms in ryokan are most often tatami rooms which have sliding doors shoji and sometimes balcony where visitors can enjoy the landscape or Japanese garden.

Onsen-ryokan has a shared or private type onsen bath, or rotenburo. Usually these kind of ryokans are more expensive. Sleeping is arranged on futon that is laid on tatami.

Even in modernized Japan, traditional ryokan remain it's popularity. Often ryokans are included in domestic travel packages, such as skiing trips to northern Japan. Ryokans are marketed for tourists visiting Japan and are very popular. But even Japanese salarymen often find ryokan more comfortable than those small business hotels, although they are sometimes more expensive. In ryokan, traditional Japanese food is delivered to tatami room for guests. The food is often seafood such as sushi.

Ryokans offer also sometimes nice kind of recreation such as table tennis, similar to onsen.

Ryokans are hard to find in large cities, but can be found mostly in smaller towns, especially cities in northern or southern part of Japan. Visitor might feel surprised that often there are no locks in the doors of ryokan, but Japan is generally very safe country. It's good idea however to leave your laptop and other valuables in the front desk.

There are modernized versions of ryokans that include televisions or karaoke sets. Also, there are ryokans providing western furniture. Currently there are about 90,000 ryokan in Japan.

See also: Yukata, Sento, Onsen, Ashiyu, Hakone, Ofuro.

Comments