Ryokan—traditional Japanese inns—are intimate stages where milestones turn into lasting memories. Time with Japanese architecture, hot‑spring bathing, seasonal cuisine, and meticulous hospitality helps you step away from the everyday and savor unhurried moments.
In this guide, you’ll learn what defines a ryokan and how it differs from a hotel; how to make an anniversary stay special; our curated top 10 ryokan in japan list; plus etiquette and FAQs so you can feel at ease. Expect a clear, traveler‑friendly overview that balances tradition and comfort with the light touch of a modern travel magazine.
A ryokan is a uniquely Japanese style of lodging that distills the culture into your stay. You sleep on futon in tatami‑matted rooms, change into a yukata robe on property, and enjoy seasonal kaiseki dinners and breakfast—rituals that deliver a different kind of value than a Western‑style hotel. Architecture is distinctly Japanese: wooden construction, tiled roofs, shoji screens, alcoves (tokonoma), and views of inner gardens—all carrying the aesthetics of a traditional home directly into the inn（＊1）.
Meals are typically included morning and evening, with menus that showcase local, seasonal ingredients. You remove your shoes before stepping onto tatami, prepare tea at your leisure, and slip into the rhythms of everyday Japanese life. In hot‑spring areas, large communal baths and open‑air rotenburo let you soak in mineral‑rich waters and relax into that post‑bath serenity so characteristic of ryokan stays.
Hospitality has a particular character. Often called kokorozukushi—“care from the heart”—service is led by the okami (proprietress) and nakai (kimono‑clad attendants) who welcome you, guide you to your room, serve meals, and prepare bedding. This is more than service; it is the Japanese spirit of omotenashi, the beating heart of ryokan culture.
Even the simple moment when a smiling attendant brews tea on arrival sets you at ease. Personalized, finely tuned care turns a night’s stay into something more. In a quiet room, the scent of tatami and the soft light filtering through shoji invite you to slow down. A ryokan is not just a place to sleep—it’s a special space where you step away from the everyday and let your mind unfurl.
A ryokan’s essence lies in the harmony of its rooms, baths, cuisine, and aesthetic setting. Guest rooms are typically tatami‑floored Japanese spaces; some offer private open‑air baths or stand‑alone villa‑style suites—ideal if you prioritize privacy. Hot springs range from grand indoor baths to scenic rotenburo, with attention to water quality and views.
Cuisine centers on kaiseki that elevates seasonal ingredients; menus and artful tableware engage all five senses（＊2）. In design, a seasonal scroll and flowers may decorate the tokonoma, with warm ambient lighting and windows framing the garden—creating a nostalgia‑tinged calm that feels deeply restorative.
Old‑Established Traditional: Inns founded in the Edo or Meiji eras with historic buildings and dignified hospitality—guardians of a classic Japanese atmosphere.
Wa‑Modern: Properties blending natural Japanese materials with contemporary design—tatami and timber warmth paired with open, glass‑lined spaces for a fresh expression of wa.
Auberge‑Style: Culinary‑driven ryokan where inventive multi‑course meals shine; ideal when great dining is your main goal.
Villa‑Style (Detached Suites): All‑villa or stand‑alone cottage layouts that prioritize privacy and a heightened sense of exclusivity.
Art‑Integrated: Inns showcasing significant artworks across the property, merging lodging with a gallery‑like experience.
At a ryokan, “quiet” is part of the welcome. Hallways and rooms use soft lighting; background music, if any, is subtle so your mind can settle. Tatami and shoji absorb sound and buffer you from the outside world; sometimes all you hear are birdsong and wind. Sight lines are composed so windows frame gardens and ponds while keeping other rooms out of view. Details like these slow time and immerse you in a serene hush.
For milestones like wedding anniversaries or birthdays, a ryokan offers multiple advantages. First, you can immerse yourself in “the extraordinary.” Atmospheric spaces and attentive service create a celebration distinct from daily life. Choose a storied inn and the experience gains a narrative quality—becoming a stage you’ll remember for life. Second, hospitality: if you let the staff know you’re celebrating, they’ll help plan surprises, assist with commemorative photos, and do their utmost to help you craft lifelong memories（＊1）.
Third, you can protect private time. At intimate luxury ryokan or those with detached suites, you’ll encounter fewer other guests and can enjoy unhurried hours as a couple or with family. Properties with private baths or in‑room dining let you relax without being seen, so you can focus entirely on your celebration. And fourth, ryokan are endlessly photogenic: refined wooden architecture, exquisite gardens, and vivid kaiseki dishes mean every corner invites a memorable shot.
Photos captured in these tradition‑rich settings not only perform well on social media; they become moments you’ll keep retelling as part of your own story. No surprise more travelers choose ryokan for their big days.
A Toast in a Private Bath: If reservable private baths are available, soak together and toast with champagne for a romantic touch.
Special In‑Room Menu: Ask the head chef for a customized anniversary menu—consider wine pairings or a dessert course with a cake.
Surprise Bouquet: Have staff deliver flowers or a handwritten card during dinner to stage an unforgettable surprise.
Private Garden Dinner: Some ryokan can set a table for two in a garden or on a terrace. At dusk, the atmosphere turns magical.
Choose the Right Room Type: Opt for detached villas, corner rooms, or suites with private open‑air baths to ensure a quiet stay. With a private rotenburo, you can slip into the hot spring together anytime（＊2）.
Reserve Private Baths in Advance: If the inn offers them, book ahead to secure your preferred time.
Select an In‑Room Dining Plan: Where available, in‑room meals let you dine at your own pace without other guests nearby. Confirm this option at booking.
Build in Extra Time: Consider early check‑in or late check‑out plans to extend your stay at a gentler tempo.
Use the Golden Hours: Shoot in gardens or at the open‑air bath during morning or evening light for a soft glow.
Coordinate Outfits: Choose matching colors or patterns for your loaned yukata; add a few traditional accessories to make photos pop.
Rain‑Day Shooting: Hallways, hearth spaces, and curated furnishings indoors make great photo spots, rain or shine.
Night Photography: Capture lanterns and gentle lighting after dark. Skip the flash; use a tripod quietly.
Here are ten outstanding ryokan suited to special occasions—from venerable icons to contemporary, design‑forward retreats. Each excels in architecture, cuisine, hot springs, scenery, and hospitality, balancing privacy with a sense of occasion.
Our selection criteria emphasize setting, culinary quality, bathing experience, service consistency, and recognition (e.g., cultural heritage or global affiliations). Below is our short list—the definitive top 10 ryokan in japan to consider now.
Spaces shaped by quintessential Japanese elements—courtyards, tsubo‑gardens, cloisters, reflecting pools—do more than photograph beautifully; they invite you to linger in quiet and depth. Look for cultural touches and hidden highlights throughout. Every inn here ranks among Japan’s finest; confirm the latest operating details on official sites before booking.
One of Kyoto’s most illustrious ryokan, founded in the Edo period and cherished by notable guests from Japan and abroad—the “guest house of Kyoto” and a pinnacle of the genre（＊1）. Step past the time‑worn exterior wall into a world of refined calm, where exquisite appointments and first‑rate hospitality create peerless ease and distinct Kyoto elegance. The eleventh‑generation proprietor’s aesthetic sense informs every detail, from furnishings to the flower in the alcove.
Each of the 18 rooms has a unique design—some with studies or beds—balancing traditional beauty and modern comfort through continual, careful updates. Signature touches like freshly made warabimochi on arrival show how deeply details are considered.
Known as reservation‑only through word of mouth (the official site is unpublished), Tawaraya is famously difficult to book thanks to devoted repeat guests. Lanterns in the inner garden and mossy courtyard vistas are beautifully photogenic. Rates are high, and the experience matches them.
Set within Fuji‑Hakone‑Izu National Park on the former estate of the Kan’in‑no‑miya imperial branch, this distinguished inn merges traditional architecture with contemporary comfort. Across 41 rooms—including a 1930s Western‑style villa—time flows with grace. The glass‑walled 120‑meter corridor, Rinrō, is a show‑stopper; strolling here with views of the garden’s seasons—fresh greens, autumn foliage, snow—will captivate you. At the corridor’s end, the Moon‑Viewing Deck opens onto sweeping Hakone nature. A proud member of Relais & Châteaux, the property has earned exceptional international acclaim（＊2）. With three private hot‑spring sources, enjoy lush open‑air baths, indoor pools, and a large bath area with sauna. Complimentary family baths and a paid stone sauna are available, and spa facilities are extensive. A library lounge with massage chairs invites leisurely post‑bath relaxation.
A storied Shuzenji ryokan with roughly 540 years of history dating to the Muromachi era. Its Noh stage, Gekkeiden—relocated from a stage associated with the Maeda family—floats over the pond and has become the inn’s ethereal emblem. At night, lighting turns the reflection on the water into a scene of romance. The 12 sukiya‑style rooms exude quiet elegance amid bamboo groves and a carp‑filled pond.
A famed open‑air bath—commissioned by a previous proprietor to feel “as vast as a pond”—is ringed with weeping cherry and wisteria. Since 1979, Asaba has hosted the “Shuzenji Arts Journey,” staging performances of Noh, kyogen, and more—another way it shares Japanese culture. Kaiseki rich with Izu’s mountain and sea bounty earns praise worldwide. With unbroken devotion to omotenashi, this celebrated inn suits your most special days（＊3）.
A standout in Yamashiro Onsen known for its philosophy of “the richness of nothingness,” this hideaway lets you savor silence as a luxury. Birdsong and the rustle of leaves become a gentle soundtrack. Perched on a slope of Yakushi Mountain, all 16 rooms have private open‑air baths facing a meticulously cared‑for mountain garden. The wa‑modern look—refined minimalism with ample negative space—is especially loved by international guests（＊4）.
Wellness is woven in: early‑morning yoga and the on‑site Entei Spa with treatments featuring medicinal herbs. Creative kaiseki highlights Hokuriku’s bounty, and the owners’ warm hospitality amplifies the experience.
A Yufuin Onsen flagship opened in 1921 by tourism pioneer Kumahachi Aburaya as a villa for hosting dignitaries（＊5）. The 10,000‑tsubo (approx. 33,000 m²) forested grounds hold Western‑style rooms in the main house and thatched‑gate detached suites scattered in tranquil greenery. Every room has its own free‑flowing hot‑spring bath for truly indulgent soaking.
Gardens shift through the seasons—fresh green in summer, blazing foliage in autumn, snow in winter—blending with the property’s historic mood. A gramophone purchased in the early Shōwa era still sits in the lounge, lending retro charm.
Beyond guest‑only spaces, the Keya shop and Tenjō Sajiki café bring daytime liveliness—while guest areas remain a world apart. Seasonal kaiseki featuring Bungo beef and local produce is beloved; long favored by writers and artists, this inn offers hospitality befitting Yufuin’s leading house.
A secluded all‑villa retreat cradled by Niseko’s native forest. Since its 2015 opening, it has become one of Japan’s most talked‑about ryokan（＊6）. The name Zaborin comes from a Zen phrase meaning “sit and forget the world,” and it delivers exactly that—quiet, extraordinary calm away from daily life.
From the grounds you can see Mt. Yotei, and Hokkaido’s vast landscape paints your stay with seasonal drama. Each of the 15 standalone villas has both an indoor and an open‑air hot spring fed by a private source—perfect for snow‑view bathing in winter or stargazing by night. Inside, design draws on traditional aesthetics and the beauty of shadow, creating dignity through restraint.
Meals can be served in‑room by request, preserving privacy to the fullest. The inventive “North Kaiseki,” reimagining Hokkaido’s mountain and sea abundance, earns rave reviews.
A luxury ryokan embraced by forest and clear streams, where each season harmonizes with your stay. Wake to birdsong, take a small boat across a mist‑veiled lake at dawn—there’s a full program of ways to enjoy Karuizawa’s bracing nature. Next door, the Picchio Wild Bird Sanctuary shelters diverse species, with guided bird‑watching tours.
The on‑site hot spring, Tombo‑no‑Yu, and a spa with a meditation bath help restore body and mind. Guest pavilions line the waterway so you can take in rippling views from the terrace. A tiered landscape of reflecting pools fed by the Yukawa evokes terraced rice fields, fusing nature and architecture.
Across the “Valley Village” (77 rooms), you’ll find a library lounge and shops—ideal for longer stays without a hint of boredom. As a wellness resort, it offers the restorative otherness and high‑touch service suited to landmark celebrations.
A venerable Kinosaki ryokan with more than 160 years of history. Three buildings on the grounds—including the thatched main gate and the Hirata Pavilion designed by sukiya‑style master Masaya Hirata—are registered as National Tangible Cultural Properties. Set in the heart of the willow‑lined hot‑spring town, it invites you to wander the evening streets in yukata and wooden geta, steam drifting in the air.
Pure Japanese rooms look onto carefully maintained courtyards, offering quiet, elegant repose. Décor with a Taishō‑era romance appears throughout, a grace that transcends time. After touring the public bathhouses, settle in for kaiseki in your room; dishes featuring local specialties—Tajima beef and winter matsuba crab—are especially praised（＊7）.
A member of Relais & Châteaux since 2016, the inn pairs tradition with warmth for an anniversary you’ll treasure.
A hidden‑hot‑spring inn tucked along a mountain stream in Kurokawa’s quiet woods. Traditional buildings scatter across a broad site, and the welcome is simple and heartfelt—like returning to a country village.
Its signature is a rustic open‑air bath built right by the river; stretch out your hand and you could touch the flow. With the babble as your soundtrack, bathe under dappled sun by day or gaze up into a sky of stars at night（＊8）. In early summer, fireflies add an otherworldly glow.
Private baths are available, and the small “bath lane” encourages you to roam among six different springs in wooden geta. Dinner features local flavors—Higo beef, yamame trout, and more—served in private rooms; gentle, nourishing tastes calm the spirit. There’s nothing flashy here—and that’s the point.
A characterful culinary ryokan at the heart of Kurashiki’s white‑walled historic quarter. Eight distinct rooms occupy renovated townhouses and storehouses dating to the late Edo period; partial refurbishments in 2024 further elevated comfort（＊9）. The refined mix of Japanese and Western décor—think antique furniture—adds to its charm.
Printmaker Shikō Munakata and novelist Ryōtarō Shiba were regulars; the inn’s sign lettering was created by textile artist Keisuke Serizawa. A lounge set in a former storehouse overlooks a guest‑only tsubo‑garden—perfect for quiet time—and there’s also a petite bath to ease travel weariness.
Meals are served in a stone‑paved restaurant facing the courtyard garden: seasonal kaiseki starring Seto Inland Sea delicacies like pike conger and oysters, plus Chiya beef. Loved by locals for special nights, the cuisine is praised for seasonal color and presentation as much as flavor. Paired with the romantic historical streetscape, it shapes an anniversary full of atmosphere.
To help everyone enjoy a smooth, thoughtful stay, here are key manners to remember for hot‑spring bathing and how to move through the property. Once you’ve got the basics, you can relax.
Before entering the bath, rinse your body and wash thoroughly. Don’t put your towel into the tub; if you have long hair, tie it up. In the bath, keep your voice low—hot springs are places for quiet relaxation（＊1）. Photography is generally prohibited; respect others’ privacy and avoid using your phone. After bathing, rinse the stool and basin you used so the next person finds a clean space.
During meals, savor the dishes quietly and keep the area around the low table tidy so attendants can serve with ease. Many vessels are valuable—handle them with care. Strong perfume can interfere with aromas, so it’s best avoided. In your room, slide fusuma and shoji gently, and remove slippers before stepping on tatami.
At night, lower the volume on the TV and your conversations; walk quietly in corridors. Protecting other guests’ rest is part of good manners. Put trash in the designated bin, treat in‑room items with care, and keep the space pleasant through check‑out.
When taking photos on the grounds or nearby, avoid capturing other guests. Skip the flash and, if you use a tripod, choose a spot and time that won’t block anyone. Absolutely no photography is allowed in large communal baths or changing rooms. If you photograph the night sky late, keep lighting to a minimum and remain quiet. Ultimately, it’s about empathy—consider how your actions affect others. Follow basic etiquette and you’ll create beautiful memories without worry.
Here are straightforward answers to common questions about ryokan. If it’s your first time, let this put you at ease so you can focus on an enjoyable anniversary trip.
A: The biggest differences are the Japanese aesthetic and stay style. A ryokan typically features tatami rooms with futon and includes breakfast and dinner; unhurried time at the inn becomes the goal. Check‑in tends to be earlier; you soak in hot springs, dine on kaiseki (often in your room), and relax with attentive service. If Western hotels are “places to stay,” a ryokan is “a Japanese inn where the stay itself is the experience.” Changing into a yukata to enjoy that step‑out‑of‑the‑everyday feeling is another hallmark.
A: Many top‑tier ryokan have staff who can assist in English and are familiar with overseas guests. Not everyone will be fully fluent, so note your preference for English support when booking. Some properties provide key information in English handouts. If you hit a snag, translation apps or simple written notes will help. Warm smiles and a few basic words carry hospitality a long way—so there’s no need to worry.
A: There’s no strict dress code. Travel in comfortable clothing and change into the ryokan’s yukata on arrival—it’s the standard way to spend time on the premises, usually with slippers provided. If you head out to tour public baths, you can borrow a haori jacket and geta sandals. You don’t need special gear; amenities like towels and toothbrushes are supplied. In winter, bring a warm outer layer; even in summer, evenings can be cool. A compact umbrella helps if rain looks likely—plus your camera to capture memories.
A: Prioritize other guests’ privacy. Choose times when spaces are quiet—never photograph in large baths or changing rooms. In lobbies or gardens, early morning is often ideal. If someone could end up in frame, a quick “May I take this photo?” usually earns cooperation. Avoid flash and bulky gear; if you shoot stars at night, do it quietly. Stand in others’ shoes and you’ll make lovely images without worry.
This guide has explored the appeal of ryokan and how to enjoy them. Spending an anniversary at a Japanese ryokan envelopes you in serene spaces and heartfelt hospitality—time that deepens your bond. Step away from the everyday and savor Japan’s culture with all five senses. May your ryokan stay become a blissful celebration.