Ryokan 旅館
Traditional Japanese inns
This is the kind of place you probably imagined staying at before going to Japan - and is a highly recommended experience. You’ll usually be sleeping in a futon on tatami floor matting and eating Japanese meals in a gorgeous Japanese setting.
Ryokan come in all shapes and sizes, from small countryside, family-run places that may charge only ¥4,000 per person without meals, right up to luxurious onsen ryokan at hot springs resorts that may cost ¥50,000 per person, including an exquisite dinner & breakfast.
Meals are typically kaiseki ryori (Japanese haute cuisine), featuring local and seasonal specialties.
The building itself may be a wooden Japanese-style rural beauty, or it may be a massive 8-storey concrete edifice. Check out the photos and facilities when booking.
Bookings can be made on accommodation search engines. Check out Ryokan Guide: Reservations.
Take a look at some of what is available at Japanese Guest Houses.
Be sure to watch How to Stay at a Ryokan before you go.