Your first night at a ryokan can feel like a test you didn’t study for. Shoes off where? Slippers on the tatami or not? What goes under the yukata? And why is the staff asking what time you want dinner before you’ve even put your bag down?
Here’s the good news. Ryokan etiquette is less about memorizing rules and more about a handful of habits: shoes come off, you wash before you soak, you show up on time for dinner, and you don’t tip. Get those right and staff will happily forgive the rest. Below is the whole stay in order, from the booking page to checkout.
Before You Book: Questions That Save Headaches
A few ryokan customs are best handled before you arrive, because they can’t be fixed at the front desk.
- Children. Some ryokan don’t accept children under a certain age. Families with kids under about 5 often find the formal dinners and quiet halls a tough fit anyway. Check the policy before you book.
- Tattoos. Tattoos are often not allowed in ryokan with onsen facilities. Ask when you book. If you have visible ink, look for a place with a private bath or an in-room bath, which some ryokan offer.
- Dietary needs. Dinner is usually a set kaiseki menu prepared in advance, so tell the ryokan about allergies, vegetarian needs or foods you can’t eat when you reserve, not when the first course arrives. Some ryokan offer Western options for non-Japanese guests.
- Mobility. Tatami floors, low tables and futons on the floor mean a lot of getting up and down. Ryokan can be hard going for guests with mobility issues. Ask whether any rooms have beds or chairs.
- Meal plans. Most ryokan include dinner and breakfast in the rate, but since 2017 some have started separating room and meal charges. If you see a room-only price that looks like a bargain, check what’s included. Some places now hand out restaurant maps or offer takeout for guests eating out.
On price: an average ryokan night has run roughly 15,000 to 30,000 yen per person, usually with two meals. Rates swing a lot by season, room type and how fancy the inn is, so treat that as a ballpark, not a quote. If budget matters more than the full experience, a minshuku (more on those below) is the cheaper cousin.
Arriving and Checking In
Check-in is usually in the late afternoon or early evening, and that timing is part of the design. You arrive, soak, eat, sleep. Showing up at noon expecting your room is like turning up to a dinner party at breakfast. Most places will hold your bags if you’re early, but don’t count on early access to the room.
Arriving very late is the bigger problem. Dinner runs on a schedule, and if you roll in after the kitchen’s last seating, you may miss the meal you paid for. If your train is delayed, call ahead.
This is also when staff will ask when you’d like dinner and breakfast. Answer with a real time you can keep (more on why below).
Shoes, Slippers and the Tatami Rule
This is the one rule everybody’s heard of, and it’s the one people still trip over.
- Shoes off at the entrance. You’ll usually step up from a lower entry area onto a raised floor. Shoes stay on the lower level. Staff will often whisk them away for you.
- Slippers on. Slippers are usually waiting at the entrance or in your room. Wear them in the hallways.
- Slippers off before tatami. Never walk on tatami mats in slippers. Leave them outside the room or at the edge of the mat and go in socks or bare feet.
- Toilet slippers stay in the toilet. Many Japanese inns keep a separate pair inside the toilet room. Swap in, swap out. Walking back into your room in the toilet slippers is the classic first-timer move, and yes, people notice.
Heading outside for a stroll? Many ryokan provide geta, wooden sandals meant for walking around town, especially in hot spring areas.
Your Room: Low Tables and Sliding Doors
Rooms typically have sliding doors and tatami flooring, a low table, floor cushions and very little else. That’s on purpose. The same room is your living room in the afternoon, your dining room in some inns, and your bedroom at night.
Some ryokan leave tea supplies in the room. It’s fine to make yourself a cup when you arrive. If there’s a small sweet next to the tea set, it’s for you.
Sliding paper doors don’t block sound the way Western walls do. Keep your voice down in the room at night, and treat hallways and common areas as quiet zones.
How to Wear a Yukata (and What Goes Under It)
Ryokan often provide yukata, a light cotton robe, for wearing around the inn and to and from the baths. In hot spring towns, it’s normal to see guests in yukata at dinner, in the lobby and even strolling outside in geta.
The basics:
- Left over right. Wrap the right side against your body first, then the left side over it. Right over left is how bodies are dressed for funerals in Japan, so this is the one detail worth getting right.
- Tie the sash at the waist. Men usually tie it lower, around the hips. Women tie it a bit higher. A simple bow or knot at the side or back is fine.
- Underwear is fine. Wear your normal underwear under a yukata. A T-shirt or tank top underneath is also common, especially in cooler months.
- Check for a jacket. In colder seasons there may be a padded over-jacket in the closet. Wear it over the yukata.
If the robe looks short, ask the front desk for another size. They keep several.
Bathing Etiquette: The Part People Worry About Most
Most ryokan have gender-segregated bathing areas using onsen water, usually marked with curtains in different colors. Learn the kanji or watch for the colors: red for women and blue for men is common, though not universal. Some inns swap the men’s and women’s baths at set times so everyone gets to try both, so look again before you walk in the next morning.
The routine is simple:
- Undress fully in the changing room. No swimsuits, no underwear in the bath. Put your clothes and yukata in the basket or locker.
- Bring the small towel only. Use it for modesty walking in and for washing. Many inns provide one, but packing your own small towel doesn’t hurt.
- Wash first, thoroughly. Sit on a stool at the washing station and scrub and rinse completely before you get in. This is the most important bath rule.
- Keep the towel out of the water. People fold it on their heads or leave it at the edge.
- Hair up, no swimming, no splashing. Keep conversation quiet.
- Dry off before going back to the changing room. Wipe down with the small towel so you don’t drip on the floor.
Shy, tattooed, or traveling as a mixed-gender couple who want to bathe together? Some ryokan offer private baths you can reserve or in-room baths. These are worth paying extra for if the shared bath worries you.
A note on onsen water: different spring types are traditionally associated with various benefits in Japan, but think of the bath as relaxation, not treatment. Drink water, and don’t soak for too long after alcohol.
Dinner: Why Timing Matters
Dinner is usually kaiseki ryori, a multi-course meal built around seasonal specialties, served either in your room or in a communal dining area. It arrives course by course, and the kitchen times each dish to when you’re ready for it.
That’s why punctuality matters. Because kaiseki is formal and prepared in sequence, guests are expected to be on time. If you said 6:30, be seated at 6:30, not finishing a soak at 6:40. Late arrivals throw off the whole kitchen.
A few practical tips:
- Pick a time that lets you bathe first. Many guests soak before dinner and come to the table in their yukata. That’s normal and expected.
- Pace yourself. There are a lot of small courses. The rice and soup often come near the end, so don’t fill up early.
- Try things. You won’t be judged for leaving something, but it’s polite to taste each dish.
- Drinks cost extra. Beer, sake and other drinks are usually ordered separately and added to your bill at checkout.
If you’re eating out instead (some ryokan now sell room-only plans), ask staff for recommendations. Some inns keep restaurant maps for exactly this.
The Futon Switch
Here’s the bit that surprises people. While you’re at dinner or in the bath, staff, called nakai, come in, move the table aside and lay out futon bedding on the tatami. You return to a bedroom.
Don’t be alarmed by the visit; it’s part of the service. Keep valuables tidy and packed away if that makes you more comfortable. And don’t try to drag the futons around yourself in a fancy inn, as staff will handle it. In the morning, they’ll fold the bedding away again, often while you’re at breakfast.
Futons are firmer than most Western beds. If you find yours thin, ask for an extra mattress layer.
Common Areas After Dark
Some ryokan have communal lounges with seating and sometimes a TV, and some keep table tennis or other games in common areas. Ping-pong in a yukata after dinner is a beloved hot spring tradition, so go ahead. Just keep the volume down, especially later in the evening.
Breakfast and Checkout
Breakfast is usually served at the time you chose the night before, often a Japanese spread of rice, fish, miso soup and small side dishes. Again, be on time.
Checkout is generally by 10 or 11 a.m., which is earlier than many Western hotels. That’s not very flexible, since staff need time to turn rooms back into living spaces. Plan your final soak early.
Before leaving:
- Leave the yukata in the room (folded loosely is a nice touch).
- Don’t take the slippers or geta.
- Settle extras like drinks at the front desk.
Tipping: Don’t
Tipping is not customary in ryokan and is often discouraged. Leaving cash on the table can cause confusion, and staff may chase you down the street to return it. Service is already built into the price.
Some Japanese guests give a small envelope of cash to their room attendant at very high-end inns, but it’s a niche custom. As a first-timer, you’re not expected to do it. A sincere thank-you at checkout is enough.
Ryokan vs Minshuku: Know What You’re Booking
Ryokan range from small family-run inns to large hotel-like facilities, and some have been redeveloped by chains like Hoshino Resorts. Minshuku are a different, budget version, closer to a bed and breakfast.
| Ryokan | Minshuku | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level | Higher; often roughly 15,000 to 30,000 yen per person | Budget |
| Meals | Usually dinner and breakfast included, often kaiseki | Simpler home-style meals, depending on the inn |
| Bedding | Staff lay out and put away futons | You may have to lay out your own |
| Toilets | Often in-room | Often shared |
| Baths | Usually gender-segregated, frequently onsen; some private or in-room | Varies |
| Formality | Fixed meal times, formal service | More casual |
If you want the full experience, book a ryokan. If you want a cheap tatami bed and don’t mind sharing a bathroom, a minshuku is fine. Just don’t expect ryokan-level service at minshuku prices.
Where You’ll Find Ryokan
Ryokan cluster in hot spring resorts and natural onsen areas, as well as resort towns such as Karuizawa. They’re less common in big cities like Tokyo, where land and costs are higher. So if you want a ryokan with a real onsen, plan for a night or two out of the city rather than squeezing it into a Tokyo itinerary.
First-Timer Checklist
- [ ] Checked the ryokan’s child and tattoo policies
- [ ] Told the ryokan about allergies or dietary needs when booking
- [ ] Confirmed whether meals are included in your rate
- [ ] Planned to arrive in the late afternoon, not too late for dinner
- [ ] Chose dinner and breakfast times you can actually keep
- [ ] Shoes off at the entrance, slippers off before tatami
- [ ] Toilet slippers stay in the toilet
- [ ] Yukata wrapped left over right
- [ ] Washed fully before getting in the bath
- [ ] Small towel kept out of the water
- [ ] Quiet in hallways and common areas
- [ ] Out by the 10 or 11 a.m. checkout
- [ ] No tip, just a thank-you
Frequently Asked Questions
What should I wear under a yukata at a ryokan?
Your regular underwear is fine, and many guests add a T-shirt or tank top, especially in cooler weather. Wrap the yukata left side over right and tie the sash at the waist. In colder months, look for a padded jacket in the closet to wear on top.
Can you wear underwear or a swimsuit in an onsen?
No. Ryokan baths are entered fully undressed, after washing thoroughly at the washing station. You can carry a small towel for modesty, but keep it out of the water. If bathing nude in a shared bath makes you uncomfortable, look for a ryokan with a private or in-room bath.
Are ryokan onsen always gender separated?
Most ryokan have separate bathing areas for men and women. Some also offer private baths or in-room baths that couples and families can use together. Check the curtain colors or signs before entering, since some inns swap the men's and women's baths at set times.
Are you supposed to tip at a ryokan?
No. Tipping is not customary in ryokan and is often discouraged, since service is built into the price. Cash left behind may simply be returned to you. A polite thank-you at checkout is the expected way to show appreciation.
What time should I arrive at a ryokan?
Check-in is usually in the late afternoon or early evening. Arriving then gives you time to bathe before dinner. If you'll be late, call ahead, because kaiseki dinners are served on a fixed schedule.
How we research: this article is based on the property's official information, reference sources and an analysis of publicly available guest reviews. We have not been paid by the property. Prices, plans and policies change, so confirm details on the official site before booking.