How to Onsen Ryokan 101
A guide for gaijin
This week, after 5 trips to Japan spread over 10 years, I finally experienced staying in a ryokan! A ryokan is a traditional Japanese inn, usually with tatami mat floors and sliding doors, often with onsen communal bathing and special in-room dining each evening. When you check in to a ryokan, you are provided with yukata (a casual kimono-like robe and sash) and slippers to wear all over the resort, including to and from the onsen (hot springs) and any entertainment or extra meals or snacks.
This is our first trip to Japan at a time of year that is not incredibly hot and humid. Due to my former K-12 teaching schedule, all of our prior travel here has been during the hottest and most humid of months of the year, from July to September.
Traveling in Japan in April (or, “shi-gatsu” in Japanese) is much different! It’s cherry blossom (“sakura”) season and, just like spring weather varies drastically both within a location and across destinations in the United States, the spring weather here in Japan has been unreliable and varied. We arrived in Osaka 10 days ago to lows in the 40s and highs in the 60s. That continued in Shiga prefecture last week, and we were able to see sakura blossoms in both places:
Then, we transferred to Tokyo by bullet train (“shinkansen”) and hit some chilly rain. The next morning found us on another shinkansen north to Iwate Prefecture, a remote/rural (“inaka”) area famous for its agriculture, fresh seafood, and hot springs. Iwate prefecture has the lowest population density outside of Hokkaido, the northernmost island and prefecture of Japan, so it’s kind of a hike to get there! The temperature was a good deal colder up north, giving us the perfect excuse to hunker down and stay cozy (plus take lots of soaks in the lovely onsen hot spring baths for the next 3 days).
Ryokan
We stayed at Masubi no Yado Arinkan in Iwate Prefecture, located in Tohoku (literally the North — hoku — East — tou — Region), which is part of Honshu, Japan’s largest island.
Our room was incredibly large and spacious by any standard, but especially for a Japanese hotel or inn, where often the bed is inches away from the desk/window/toilet. We sprang for a slightly bigger room since the cost difference was negligible and our room included the following spaces:
Genkan / Entry way
Japanese homes almost always have a genkan, or entryway, that is usually a step down from the main floor. It is imperative to remove your shoes, leave them there so as not to bring dirt into the rest of the room or house, and then go around in your socks and/or change to any indoor slippers provided for you. The slippers you see here are actually for walking around the resort so we did NOT wear them around the room. There was also another set of slippers in the bathroom labelled “W.C.” (Water closet), which is common in Japanese homes, restaurants, and sometimes businesses and schools as well. Our entryway area also had a mini-fridge, sink, and area to make tea.
Main room/dining area
We had beautiful views of the surrounding mountains from our room, even if the sakura haven’t yet arrived this far north just yet! Our meals were also served here.
Living room
A step down into a small living room area with a mini sectional and coffee table; perfect for a morning cup of coffee with a view, or getting some work or reading done.
Bedroom
We had two beds, which we pushed together to form a king size setup! Heads up, however, that many ryokan simply provide futon matresses that you spread on the tatami mat floor to sleep.
We also had a full bathroom, though apart form the toilet and sink we didn’t really use it since we did all of our bathing at the onsen!
Onsen
Japan is a volcanically active country, so it has thousands of onsen (hot springs) all over the country. There are different types of onsen, including indoor and outdoor baths, run publicly or privately, often as part of a hotel, or ryokan.
By definition, an Onsen uses goethermally heated spring water; they are different from Sentō, indoor public bath houses that use heated tap water (see below):
Because onsen water contains minerals or chemicals (including sulfer, sodium chloride, hydrogen carbonate, and iron) from the volcanic hot springs, there are said to be many therapeutic benefits to soaking in them, from boosting circulation to healing minor skin issues, and of course stress and pain relief and overall relaxation. Onsen are also typically located a bit more remotely to be closer to the volcanic source for their water, and thus are often surrounded by a lot of natural beauty, as in the case of our resort (see pictures below, courtesy of the resort website):
How to Onsen
Going to an onsen is a beloved and traditional part of Japanese culture that you MUST experience if you can while traveling in Japan. The ritual of visiting an onsen with family or friends is relaxing and invigorating and cultivates a social cohesion among those who experience it together. It can, however, be incredibly intimidating to the uninitiated foreigner (“gaijin”), so I’ll do my best to lay out the dos and don’ts of how to onsen in the steps that follow so that you don’t run the very real risk of committing a rudeness (“shitsurei”).
- You gotta get nakey. Also sorry, but tattoos are generally considered pretty taboo, because of their long and complicated history in Japan, though there are some exceptions.
- Shower, you gross gaijin! Seriously, though, this is one of the best parts of the process. Similar to how when you go to get a manicure or pedicure, the actual nail painting is just the cherry on top of a full, relaxing repertoire of soaking, massaging, wrapping the feet in heating towels, etc, soaking in an onsen is just one component of an extensive and relaxing ritual, which all starts with getting clean. After getting nakey, you take only your small towel with you (leave the big one behind in your locker or cubby). Enter the onen, or bath, area, which has individual bathing stations or stalls that are each equipped with little stools to sit on, bath faucets, buckets to fill with water and pour over yourself to rinse off (see picture of the Sento above; the same bathing stalls are part of Onsen). There are also usually full-size free-to-use toiletries including shampoo, conditioner, and bodywash (I’ve also seen salt scrubs and face wash). Use these bathing stations to sit yourself down, rinse off, and then scrub your dirty self completely clean before you even think about entering the onsen. Getting into a shared bath while dirty is a huge social no-no.
- Towel Tricks. When you’re done with your little pre-soak shower, rinse off your small towel and ring it out. Then, you can fold it up (or, you can use it to provide a little modesty as you walk around; many Japanese women use its full-length to cover the front of their bodies as they move from bath to bath) ….BUT you must NOT let the towel touch the bath water under any circumstances! This is probably the most important rule of fight club, oops I mean onsen! Your towel can be folded up and balanced on your head, or used to wrap up your hair, or even put on the ledge of the bath, far enough away that it is free from the risk of touching the onsen bath water, but your towel cannot go into the water. I guess if you consider that you just washed your dirty body with that thing, it makes sense.
- Hair — similar to the towel istuation, your hair should not touch the water either. This means that you don’t ever dunk your head under the water, and you should put your hair up if you’re a woman with longer hair. Similar to not wanting a dirty towel in shared water, nobody wants your hair balls in their onsen. Gross.
- Post-bath — maybe shower again, then do your typical spa thing. I noticed on this trip that it seemed like women were only doing a quick rinse and wash before soaking and then doing their major showering / shaving etc., after moving through the series of onsen baths. So, shower again, maybe more extensively, after soaking, before going back to the locker area. Then it’s basically like a western spa experience from there: there’s a common area with body lotion, face wash, astringent, and face lotion, and of course hair dryers and brushes for shared or single time use. They also usually have a scale. So, take your time, put your yukata back on, and get all relaxed after getting all clean.
- Optional — go sit in a massage chair if they have one, or get a snack (ice cream is a popular choice!).
Most people go to an onsen with family or friends, so there is a certain amount of chattiness you hear while men or women soak together with loved ones while catching up. Note that while historically mixed-gender bathing was the norm, especially in the country, these days, Onsen are almost always divided by gender. Young boys (under 4–5 years old) often go to the women’s Onsen with their mothers, although lately Justin has seen more fathers taking on that responsibility. If you know some Japanese, it’s appropriate to greet someone entering the same bath you are in with a quiet “ohayou gozaimasu” (good morning) or “konnichiwa” / “konbanwa” (good afternoon/ good evening), and you can attempt to have a little chat if you like, but if your language level is still very low proficiency, you might struggle past that. Feel free to chat with people, though, knowing that you’re not necessarily interrupting their relaxation. Also know that sometimes your gaijin-ness (being a foreigner) will attract others to you to start up conversations. Americans tend to be a lot more awkward than other people about being naked in front of other people, so know that in these situations you are almost certainly more preoccupied with your body than they are. Try to just be present and relax/enjoy. And, of course, don’t even think about bringing your cell phone (Keitai) in there. There are no photographs allowed, for obvious reasons.
Onsen usually open fairly early and stay open pretty late (our resort’s onsen hours were 5 AM- 10 PM), so you can start and end your day with a lovely spa-like ritual. Most resorts also have private baths that you can rent, which we did one day. We were given a key to a private bathing space with two tubs, one large indoor cedar bath and one outdoor (roten-buro) bath to enjoy for 45 minutes together. It was a lot like going for a couples’ massage, but without the awkwardness of the massage therapists there! I highly recommend the shared private bath experience if you get the chance to try it — ours only cost $20!
Ryokan Meals & Food
Kaiseki Dinner
We decided to go for the in-room set dinner experience at our ryokan. Dinner was brought to our main room/living space, which had a low-to-ground table and chairs to eat at, by a young woman in a kimono, who gave an overview of our first course before leaving us alone to eat. She returned two more times, once for a second course and once more for dessert. This type of dinner is called Kaiseki, or traditional Japanese cuisine, and consists of a number of small and varied dishes, usually featuring seasonal and regional specialties, and sometimes includes naberyori (Japanese hot-pot dishes).
First course
The first course was the most involved. Our trays contained a myriad of dishes to try, all of which had strong, local flavors! We also got to enjoy two forms of food you cook for yourself. Our server lit two mini fires for each of us and we let our hot pot dish and fish cook in their special stone cookware while we started with our fermented and pickled mini dishes, sashimi (sushi without rice, just the raw fish, which was incredibly fresh and delicious in Northern Japan!), and a few other interesting dishes, plus sides of rice.
Second course
Our server returned to deliver a little omelette-like custard and a bowl of homemade soba in a light broth. The custard was tasty but had a texture that wasn’t quite my jam, while the soba was easily the best noodle dish I’d ever had in my life, probably made in-house less than an hour previously. Soba noodles are made from buckwheat, which is naturally gluten-free, so I was able to enjoy that dish without difficulties, score!
Dessert
Not sure if it was because we were at a resort, or because we are gaijin, but we got a pretty western dessert: a kind of panna cotta (or creme brûlée without the firing to produce the crispy top), a mini cream puff and chocolate wafer/whipped cream and a piece of kiwi. I passed on most but enjoyed the chocolate wafer and whipped cream!
It wasn’t super clear how to get rid of all the dishes in our room after eating, so Justin let them know we’d be going down for the nightly entertainment (a very cute amateur magic show) and they cleaned up in our absence.
One thing to note is that you can usually pick between the in-room dining and a family-style buffet for your dinner at a ryokan. We thought maybe after the first night we could change to the buffet to experience both, but, that was impossible for reasons unknown to us. 🤷♀️ It’s kind of typical for Japan that once you pick something you have to stick with it, so be sure to pick what meal variety you want to experience, and if you are in it for fresh, local, traditional food, definitely go for the in-room dining. It costs a little more, but is super tasty and memorable, and is very much worth it! Below are pictures from dinner on our 2nd night — just as tasty, but with different offerings!
Breakfast Buffet
Our stay included a breakfast buffet. We were given two tickets at check-in and learned that each ticket was for BOTH of us, so we were supposed to use one on our first morning and one on the other. Being confused gaijin, we each used a ticket the first day and then had to ask for a new ticket on the second day, but they were fine with it and helped us out at the front desk with minimal fuss. When you arrive at this kind of breakfast buffet, you usually hand in your ticket. I was given a little card, similar to what you get at a brazillian steakhouse, to have one side face-up while you are still eating (in case you leave your table so they know you’re not done) and the other side that you flip to when you’re done eating so they know to clean up your area.
The breakfast buffet included traditional Japanese options like miso soup and curry rice, alongside western offerings like scrambled eggs, sausages, and Japan’s attempt at bacon (often a little hit or miss). There were also breads, something like oatmeal or porridge, french toast, a fritatta, a little salad bar, and some other mysterious options, along with coffee and tea.
One thing to know is there isn’t really a lunch — there’s a counter where you can order things like ramen, or treats like kakigori (shaved ice like a snow cone) at night, which I guess must be where most people did a midday meal if they wanted one, or they ate while out and about sightseeing, but the big meals ryokan offer are breakfast and dinner, and they are usually part of the price of your stay. This was fine for me, as I tend to eat 2x/day anyway.
All told, we spent two delightful nights at our Ryokan, enjoying 6–8 lovely Onsen soaks, 2 beautiful dinners, and a varied and tasty breakfast each day. There are Ryokan all over the country and they are a great way to slow down and experience a bit more of the traditional side of Japanese culture while maintaining the fantastic customer service for which Japan is famous. It even crossed my mind that perhaps the Japanese are able to work as hard as they do and as long of hours as they do because they have such relaxing escapes like Onsen to retreat to. Even one night in such a place is enough to relax, reset and restore. I am super excited to try different ryokan and Onsen in different parts of Japan next year — how about you? Would you ever, or have you ever stayed at a great Japanese Ryokan? If so please share where below!
