# Ryokans

A night at a ryokan, the traditional Japanese inn, runs to a timetable: arrival between 2 pm and 4 pm, a bath, kaiseki dinner around 5.30 or 7.30 pm, futons or low beds, departure around 11 am. Umika works with thirteen, from Hoshinoya Tokyo to Iwasō on Miyajima, founded in 1854, by way of Hakone, Kaga and Takayama. Two nights per stop leave a full day, and each inn sets the age of children it accepts.

Source : https://umika-travel.com/en/themes/ryokans/

A ryokan is a traditional Japanese inn where dinner, the night and breakfast come as one: you arrive in the afternoon, take a bath, eat a kaiseki dinner, a seasonal meal of many small courses, and sleep on futons, mattresses laid on the tatami, or in a low bed. The Umika selection includes thirteen, from Hoshinoya Tokyo, in central Tokyo, to Iwasō, founded in 1854 on the island of Miyajima, and on to guntû, a ryokan that sails the Seto Inland Sea. This page follows one evening, then helps you choose an inn and the number of nights.

## An evening at a ryokan, hour by hour

**Arrival, in the afternoon.** Each inn sets its own time: 2 pm at Hakone Ginyu, 2.30 pm at the KAI inns, 3 pm at Gora Kadan, Beniya Mukayu, Iwasō and Hoshinoya Kyoto, 3 pm to 5 pm at Wanosato, 4 pm to 7 pm at Kinjohro. The Nagano Prefecture tourist office advises arriving before 6 pm if you are dining at the inn. At Hoshinoya Kyoto, you arrive by boat on the Ōi River, 15 minutes from Arashiyama, with the first departure at 2.30 pm and the last at 5.45 pm.

**Shoes and yukata.** Shoes stay at the entrance, and slippers come off on the tatami, the straw mats covering the room floors. In the room you will find a yukata, a light cotton kimono provided by the inn. Some ryokans allow it in the corridors and the restaurant, others do not: the rules are posted near the baths.

**A bath before dinner.** This is the time for the first bath, in the public bath or in your room's own bath; our [Onsen and hot springs](/en/themes/onsen-and-hot-springs/) page compares the inns, and the guide to [onsen etiquette](/en/guides/onsen-etiquette-japan/) explains the routine.

**Kaiseki dinner.** It is served at a set time. At the KAI inns, at 5.30 or 7.30 pm, as you prefer, in semi-private rooms. At Hakone Ginyu, in your room from 6 pm; at Gora Kadan, usually in your room, at 6 or 7 pm, with a menu that changes every month. At Kinjohro, always in your room or a private dining room. Beniya Mukayu serves at Kaiseki Horin, on a terrace above the garden, omakase, the menu chosen by the kitchen.

**The evening.** During dinner, the staff lay out the futons. Several inns have an evening ritual: the Kaga lion dance at KAI Kaga, a shirabyōshi dance from the Heian period (794-1185) at KAI Miyajima, Hida folk tales around the irori, the hearth sunk into the floor, with sake warmed in a length of bamboo, at Wanosato.

**The morning.** One last bath, then breakfast, Japanese or Western depending on the inn: at 8 or 9.30 am in your room at Hakone Ginyu, at 8, 8.30 or 9 am at Gora Kadan and Wanosato. Check-out is at 11 am at most inns, 10 am at Iwasō and noon at Hoshinoya Kyoto.

## Futon or bed

Many ryokans also have beds. The KAI inns in Kaga, Okuhida and Miyajima pair a tatami sitting room with low beds. Hoshinoya Kyoto sets its futons on a raised base, at bed height. Hakone Ginyu offers each of its Sora, Hoshi and Tsuki categories as a Japanese room with futons or with a queen bed. At Kinjohro, Yuki no Ma, Fuji no Ma and Kiku no Ma have beds, Take no Ma and Tsuki no Ma futons.

## Choosing your ryokan

| Ryokan | Location | Rooms | What sets it apart | Children |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hoshinoya Tokyo | Otemachi, Tokyo | 84 | a small six-room ryokan on each floor, hot spring bath on the 17th | under 12 in the parents' bed |
| Gora Kadan | Gora, Hakone | not published | former summer villa of Prince Kan'in, pool, pavilions | no age limit |
| Hakone Ginyu | Miyanoshita, Hakone | 4 types | open-air bath in every room, meals in the room | Japanese rooms for families |
| KAI Hakone | Hakone-Yumoto | 34 | closest to Tokyo, renovated in 2025 | menus for ages 4 to 11, playroom |
| Kinjohro | Kanazawa | 6 | ryōtei, traditional restaurant, founded in 1890 | welcome |
| Beniya Mukayu | Yamashiro Onsen, Kaga | 16 | open-air bath on the garden in every room | from age 7 |
| KAI Kaga | Yamashiro Onsen, Kaga | 48 | Kaga crafts, lion dance | no minimum age |
| Wanosato | Ichinomiya, near Takayama | 7 | villas and suites in Hida houses | from primary-school age, in the villas |
| KAI Okuhida | Hirayu, Okuhida | 49 | mountains at 1,200 m, 28 private baths | all ages |
| Iwasō | Miyajima island | 38 | wooden pavilions from 1924 to 1952, 300 m from the shrine | price by age |
| KAI Miyajima | Miyajimaguchi | 54 | every room faces the island, opened July 2026 | rooms for four and six |
| Hoshinoya Kyoto | Arashiyama, Kyoto | 25 | arrival by boat | from age 12 |
| guntû | Seto Inland Sea | 17 suites | floating ryokan, two- or three-night cruises | from age 15 |

**Historic houses.** Iwasō spreads across three buildings from different periods, including four wooden pavilions by the Momijidani stream. Wanosato occupies a 160-year-old farmhouse and Hida houses rebuilt on the estate, two of them in the gasshō-zukuri style, with steep thatched roofs.

**Houses built around the table.** Kinjohro is first of all a kaiseki restaurant of Kaga cuisine that lets six rooms: you stay for dinner and to walk back from the Higashi Chaya teahouses. Our [Food and gastronomy](/en/themes/food-and-gastronomy/) page covers these tables.

**The KAI inns.** KAI is the ryokan brand of Hoshino Resorts, the Japanese hotel group that also runs Hoshinoya. Its four inns in our selection, in Hakone, Kaga, Okuhida and Miyajima, have set timetables and children's menus: they are the easiest option for a first night.

**In the city.** Hoshinoya Tokyo, a 10-minute walk from Tokyo Station, brings ryokan customs to your first evening in Japan.

## What the price includes

A ryokan rate usually includes dinner and breakfast, but each inn has its own formulas. At Gora Kadan and Hakone Ginyu, the rate covers dinner, breakfast, consumption tax and service; the municipal onsen tax is included at Hakone Ginyu and paid on site at Gora Kadan. Kinjohro and Iwasō can also be booked room only or with breakfast only, and Hoshinoya Tokyo's rate has no meals: we add dinners to suit your plans. On Miyajima, the Hatsukaichi accommodation tax, 200 ¥ (about 2 €) per person per night since 1 April 2026, is added to the bill; in Kyoto, the accommodation tax depends on the nightly rate, and our [money and taxes](/en/guides/money-taxes-japan/) guide gives the scale.

Some inns are booked far in advance: Hakone Ginyu takes bookings by phone up to a year ahead, and New Year dates open on 1 September. We handle this for you.

## How many nights

One night gives you the evening and the morning; two nights leave a full day between baths, which we recommend at most ryokans. In Hakone, one or two nights are enough: [Tokyo, Hakone, Kyoto and Osaka in 12 days](/en/ideas/tokyo-hakone-kyoto-osaka-12-days/) spends two at Gora Kadan. [Kanazawa, Shirakawa-go and Takayama in 10 days](/en/ideas/japanese-alps-kanazawa-10-days/) spends three nights at Kinjohro and two at Wanosato; a stay in the area often combines two nights at Kinjohro with one or two in Kaga for the baths. The [honeymoon in 11 days](/en/ideas/japan-honeymoon-11-days/) links Gora Kadan, three nights at Hoshinoya Kyoto and two nights aboard guntû; [Kyoto, Miyajima and the art islands in 10 days](/en/ideas/inland-sea-art-islands-10-days/) spends two nights at Iwasō.

## Children and dietary needs

Each inn sets its minimum age: 7 at Beniya Mukayu, primary-school age at Wanosato, 12 at Hoshinoya Kyoto, 15 aboard guntû. Gora Kadan, KAI Kaga and KAI Okuhida welcome children of any age. The KAI inns in Kaga and Okuhida have meals for ages 4 to 6 and 7 to 11, Gora Kadan has menus up to age 12, and KAI Hakone a playroom.

Dietary needs are flagged in advance: seven days ahead at Iwasō for a vegetarian or gluten-free menu, five days ahead at KAI Miyajima for a vegetarian one. KAI Hakone offers vegetarian meals, and Beniya Mukayu adapts its kaiseki to requirements notified before arrival.

## Frequently asked questions

### What is a night at a ryokan like?

You arrive in the afternoon, between 2 pm and 4 pm depending on the inn, change into a yukata and take a bath. The kaiseki dinner is served at a set time, often around 5.30 or 7.30 pm, in your room or a dining room, and the staff lay out the futons during the meal. The next morning: a bath, breakfast and check-out around 11 am.

### How many nights should I spend at a ryokan?

One night is enough to try the bath and the kaiseki; two nights leave a full day on site. Our trip ideas spend two nights at Gora Kadan, Wanosato or Iwasō, and three at Kinjohro or Hoshinoya Kyoto.

### Do you have to sleep on the floor at a ryokan?

No. The KAI inns in Kaga, Okuhida and Miyajima have low beds, Hoshinoya Kyoto has futons raised to bed height, and Hakone Ginyu, Kinjohro and Beniya Mukayu offer rooms with beds. Futon rooms remain the traditional form.

### Do ryokans accept children?

Most do, under each inn's own rules. Gora Kadan, KAI Kaga and KAI Okuhida welcome children of any age, with children's menus. Beniya Mukayu accepts them from age 7, Wanosato from primary-school age, Hoshinoya Kyoto from 12 and guntû from 15.

### Is dinner included in the price?

Usually: the rates at Gora Kadan and Hakone Ginyu include kaiseki dinner and breakfast. Kinjohro and Iwasō can also be booked without meals, and Hoshinoya Tokyo is sold room only. The onsen tax and local accommodation taxes are sometimes added.