The 11 Best Ryokan in Japan (2026)

Updated October 2026 · 11 picks

The best ryokan in Japan in 2026 are Hiiragiya in Kyoto, Gora Kadan in Hakone, Hoshinoya Kyoto in Arashiyama, Nishimuraya Honkan in Kinosaki and Kinjohro in Kanazawa. For a budget stay, Sawanoya in Tokyo's Yanaka is a long-running family inn, and Nanzenji Yachiyo and Yoshida Sanso offer mid-range Kyoto stays.

A ryokan is a Japanese inn: tatami rooms, futon bedding, a kaiseki dinner and a Japanese breakfast, often with hot spring baths. Rates at most ryokan are quoted per person with both meals included, so compare them with a hotel on a full-board basis, not a room-only one.

The eleven properties below are real, operating inns with their own booking channels, spread across Kyoto, Hakone, Kinosaki, Kurokawa, Kanazawa, Takayama and Tokyo. They are ranked for the quality of the stay, with a spread of budgets. Pair a stay with our best onsen towns in Japan and best day trips from Tokyo.

1. Hiiragiya — Nakagyo, Kyoto

A central Kyoto inn with more than 200 years of history and kyo-kaiseki dinners.

¥¥¥¥Best for Couples · Solo · Groups

Hiiragiya's site says more than 200 years have passed since its founding. The main building has sukiya-style rooms from the late Edo to early Showa periods, and a newer wing mixes contemporary Japanese design with traditional materials. Rooms have private baths.

Dinner is kyo-kaiseki built around seasonal local ingredients. Breakfast is Kyoto-style, with yudofu (simmered tofu), grilled fish, rice cooked in an earthenware pot and house pickles, and a Western-style breakfast is available on request.

Good to know: Reserve through the inn's own reservation page. Kyoto's accommodation tax changed in 2026, and the inn posts a notice, so check it before you book.

Fuyacho Anekoji-agaru, Nakagyo-ku, Kyoto 604-8094

Google Maps Website

2. Gora Kadan — Gora, Hakone

A Hakone ryokan on the grounds of a former imperial family summer villa.

¥¥¥¥Best for Couples · Solo · Groups

Gora Kadan stands within the grounds of the Kan'in-no-miya villa, once a summer retreat for the imperial family. Prince Kan'in Kotohito named it Gora Kadan when he opened it to receive honored guests, and the property still runs on that hospitality tradition.

It is one of the most established ryokan in Hakone and a good fit for a special occasion. The group also runs a second property at Fuji.

Good to know: Book through the group's own reservation system, linked from the site. Hakone-Yumoto is about 80 minutes from Shinjuku on the Odakyu Romancecar, then continue by mountain railway to Gora.

1300 Gora, Hakone, Ashigarashimo District, Kanagawa 250-0408

Google Maps Website

3. HOSHINOYA Kyoto — Arashiyama, Kyoto

Twenty-five riverside pavilions in Arashiyama, reached by a private boat.

¥¥¥¥Best for Couples · Solo · Groups

HOSHINOYA Kyoto is a riverside retreat in Arashiyama beside the Ran-kyo gorge. It has 25 guest rooms, each a separate pavilion with windows framing the gorge, and two restaurants. Guests take a private boat from Togetsukyo Bridge to get there.

Facilities include an onsen, spa, café and lounge. It is the most modern pick on this list, with a ryokan structure of tatami, deep baths and set meals.

Good to know: Check-in is at 3:00 p.m., and the inn arranges the boat from Togetsukyo Bridge. There is no shuttle or parking, but a delivery service for luggage runs from Kyoto Station and Kansai Airport.

11-2 Arashiyama, Genrokuzan-cho, Nishikyo-ku, Kyoto 616-0007

Google Maps Website

4. Nishimuraya Honkan — Kinosaki Onsen, Hyogo

A 165-year-old inn in Kinosaki Onsen with six public baths within walking distance.

¥¥¥Best for Couples · Families · Solo · Groups

Nishimuraya Honkan is a long-established inn in Kinosaki Onsen, a town built around its seven public baths. The inn says it dates from the Ansei era of the Edo period, and its Hiratakan building is a registered tangible cultural property in sukiya style.

It has indoor and outdoor baths of its own and a range of room types, from standard Japanese rooms to suites with private outdoor baths. Meals focus on Tajima ingredients, with abalone and crab dishes.

Good to know: The inn posted a temporary closure notice for room renovations in January 2026, so check the dates before booking. Walk the street in a yukata and visit the public baths, six of which are within walking distance of the inn.

469 Yushima, Kinosaki-cho, Toyooka, Hyogo 669-6101

Google Maps Website

5. Kinjohro — Hashiba-machi, Kanazawa, Ishikawa

A Kanazawa kaiseki restaurant-inn founded in 1890, known for Kaga cuisine.

¥¥¥¥Best for Couples · Solo · Groups

Kinjohro, in Kanazawa's Hashiba-machi, is a kaiseki restaurant and ryokan that says it was founded in 1890. It serves traditional Kaga cuisine from local seasonal ingredients on heirloom tableware.

The inn states it received a Michelin Guide Hokuriku 2021 Special Edition certification as the only 5-pavilion ryokan in the Hokuriku region. Its facilities are certified under the Japan Tourism Agency's accessibility program.

Good to know: The website is in Japanese only. Use the contact form or call 076 221 8188 to book. A related tempura restaurant, Tenkane, is run by the same group.

2-23 Hashiba-machi, Kanazawa, Ishikawa 920-0911

Google Maps Website

6. Hanaougi Bettei Iiyama — Takayama, Gifu

A Takayama inn with its own hot spring source and rooms with open-air baths.

¥¥¥¥Best for Couples · Solo · Groups

Hanaougi Bettei Iiyama is a hot spring ryokan in Takayama, part of the Hidatei Hanaougi group. It has its own spring source, described as a smooth, silky skin-softening water.

Room types include open-air bath suites, maisonettes with futon or twin beds, a two-room superior suite and standard rooms.

Good to know: The main site is in Japanese, but an English reservation page is linked from it. Takayama's old town is a short trip from the inn, so plan a morning walk through it before check-in.

262-2 Honmoto-machi, Takayama, Gifu 506-0003

Google Maps Website

7. Yamamizuki — Kurokawa Onsen, Kumamoto

A small ryokan in Kurokawa Onsen with private baths and set dinners in a dining room.

¥¥¥Best for Couples · Solo · Groups

Yamamizuki is a ryokan in Kurokawa Onsen in Minamioguni, Kumamoto, near Aso. Dinner and breakfast are included and served in a private dining room at its restaurant Hanahenpen, and meals are not served in the guest rooms.

A private bath called Saotome can be used by overnight guests from 3:00 to 9:00 p.m. for 2,000 yen per 50 minutes, and the ryokan also has an open-air bath. Photos and phones are not allowed in the baths.

Good to know: Request special menus such as allergy meals in advance, since same-day requests are not accepted. The English pages on the site cover rooms, meals and baths.

6392-2 Manganji, Minamioguni, Aso District, Kumamoto 869-2402

Google Maps Website

8. HOSHINOYA Tokyo — Otemachi, Tokyo

A high-rise ryokan in Otemachi with an onsen, a short walk from Tokyo Station.

¥¥¥¥Best for Couples · Solo · Groups

HOSHINOYA Tokyo is a high-rise ryokan with 84 rooms, built around the idea that each floor works as a private ryokan of six rooms, with its own ochanoma (tea lounge) connected by a tatami corridor.

Otemachi Onsen is for guests only. The property has three restaurants and a lounge, and sits about a 10-minute walk from the Marunouchi North Exit of Tokyo Station.

Good to know: Check-in is at 3:00 p.m. and check-out at 12:00 p.m. Pets are not allowed, and there is no shuttle.

1-9-1 Otemachi, Chiyoda City, Tokyo 100-0004

Google Maps Website

9. Nanzenji Yachiyo — Nanzenji, Sakyo, Kyoto

A 16-room inn on the approach to Nanzen-ji with a garden by Ogawa Jihei.

¥¥¥Best for Couples · Solo · Groups

Nanzenji Yachiyo sits on the approach to Nanzen-ji and says it was founded in 1890. Its pond-stroll garden was designed by Ogawa Jihei VII, known as Ueji. The inn has 16 rooms, seven in the main building and nine in an annex, and only the main building rooms overlook the garden.

Dinner is kaiseki at the garden restaurant or in your room for an extra fee. Breakfast is known for yudofu. Nanzen-ji, Eikando and Heian Shrine are within walking distance.

Good to know: You can pick a specific room when booking. Keage Station on the Tozai Line is about a 5-minute walk, and the inn runs an English version of its site with an FAQ.

34 Nanzenji Fukuchicho, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8435

Google Maps Website

10. Yoshida Sanso — Yoshida, Sakyo, Kyoto

A shoin-style villa inn near Kyoto University, built on an imperial villa estate.

¥¥¥Best for Couples · Solo · Groups

Yoshida Sanso's main house is built in classic shoin style, and the inn has kept its details while adding modern comforts. Its Shinkokan annex was built in the 1930s as part of the imperial villa for Prince Higashi-Fushimi and now houses a cafe with views of Mt. Hiei and Mt. Daimonji.

It is a calmer, more residential area of Kyoto than Gion, and good for travelers who want a quiet base.

Good to know: Bookings and questions go by email, as the site invites inquiries directly. When calling from overseas, drop the initial 0 in the phone number.

59-1 Yoshida Shimo-oji-cho, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8314

Google Maps Website

11. Ryokan Sawanoya — Yanaka, Tokyo

A family-run budget ryokan in Yanaka, celebrating its 70th year in 2019.

¥¥Best for Couples · Families · Solo · Groups

Sawanoya is a traditional Japanese inn in Yanaka, a short walk from Nezu Station and near Ueno. The family says it celebrated its 70th anniversary in June 2019, and the inn is a long-running pick for travelers who want a ryokan stay at a lower price than the luxury properties.

Its website has an English section, and the inn lists itself as friendly to Muslim and LGBTQ guests.

Good to know: The website is served over plain http, and browsers may warn about the certificate. Book by email at [email protected] or by phone, and check the English page for rates.

2-3-11 Yanaka, Taito City, Tokyo 110-0001

Google Maps Website

Frequently asked questions

What is the best ryokan in Japan?

Hiiragiya in Kyoto, Gora Kadan in Hakone and Hoshinoya Kyoto in Arashiyama are among the most celebrated. Hiiragiya has more than 200 years of history in central Kyoto, Gora Kadan sits on the grounds of a former imperial family villa, and Hoshinoya Kyoto is reached by private boat.

How much does a ryokan cost?

Prices vary widely. Ryokan are usually priced per person with dinner and breakfast included, so a night costs more than a room-only hotel. Simple family-run inns such as Sawanoya in Tokyo are at the low end, while Hiiragiya, Gora Kadan and Hoshinoya are at the top. Check each property's own site for current rates.

Do ryokan accept guests with tattoos?

It depends on the ryokan. Many shared baths still restrict visible tattoos, but several inns have private baths that you can book or rooms with their own bath. Ask the ryokan before you book. If a property does not state a policy on its site, email to confirm.

What should I know about ryokan etiquette?

Take off your shoes at the entrance and wear the slippers provided. Wear the yukata (cotton robe) in the inn. Wash and rinse before getting into a shared bath, and do not put a towel in the water. Dinner is usually served at a set time, so arrive before check-in closes and tell the inn about food allergies in advance.

How far ahead should I book a ryokan?

For the well-known inns in Kyoto, Hakone and Kinosaki, book as early as the property opens its calendar, especially for autumn leaves, cherry blossom and the winter crab season in Kinosaki. Smaller inns have only a handful of rooms, and some take bookings by phone, email or their own reservation page.

Are ryokan only for couples?

No. Most ryokan take families, solo travelers and groups, and many rooms sleep three or more. Check the property's rules on children and the age at which kids are charged an adult rate.

1. Hiiragiya — Nakagyo, Kyoto

2. Gora Kadan — Gora, Hakone

3. HOSHINOYA Kyoto — Arashiyama, Kyoto

4. Nishimuraya Honkan — Kinosaki Onsen, Hyogo

5. Kinjohro — Hashiba-machi, Kanazawa, Ishikawa

6. Hanaougi Bettei Iiyama — Takayama, Gifu

7. Yamamizuki — Kurokawa Onsen, Kumamoto

8. HOSHINOYA Tokyo — Otemachi, Tokyo

9. Nanzenji Yachiyo — Nanzenji, Sakyo, Kyoto

10. Yoshida Sanso — Yoshida, Sakyo, Kyoto

11. Ryokan Sawanoya — Yanaka, Tokyo

Frequently asked questions

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