What Makes a Ryokan Special
A ryokan is a traditional Japanese inn. The experience revolves around a few key elements. Rooms are often furnished with tatami mats, sliding paper screens and views of a garden or landscape. Dinner, usually kaiseki, is a seasonal tasting menu of many small courses, sometimes served in your room. Breakfast is equally carefully prepared. And bathing is central: many ryokan are built around onsen, natural hot springs, with communal baths and, at the best places, private baths for couples.
What makes it so romantic is the pace. Ryokan stays are not about rushing out to sightsee. They are about slowing down, savoring each meal and bath and enjoying the quiet attention of the staff. Even one or two nights can feel like a deep reset.
Kyoto: Hoshinoya Kyoto and Aman Kyoto
Hoshinoya Kyoto sits on a wooded riverbank upstream of Togetsukyo Bridge in Arashiyama. You check in at a boat landing and travel up the Oi River in a traditional wooden boat to restored century-old buildings with moss gardens and lantern-lit paths. Each of its 25 rooms has a deep hinoki cypress tub. Modern kaiseki dinners can be served in the restaurant or your room. Morning garden yoga, incense ceremonies and ikebana add to the calm.
Aman Kyoto occupies a secret forest garden at the foot of Hidari Daimonji mountain in northern Kyoto, a short walk from Kinkaku-ji, the Golden Pavilion. Minimalist pavilions designed by Kerry Hill sit among moss, stone paths and maples. The natural hot-spring onsen and Aman Spa are major draws, along with Japanese tasting menus at Taka-An and a daily matcha ritual. It feels more like a contemporary Aman than a classic ryokan, but its spirit is deeply Japanese.
Hakone: Gora Kadan
Gora Kadan is a former imperial family summer villa from the 1930s that became a ryokan in 1948. It sits on a wooded mountainside in Fuji-Hakone-Izu National Park, a short walk from Gora Station. Many rooms and suites have private open-air hot-spring baths, which is the single biggest upgrade for a honeymoon. Seasonal kaiseki is served in private. There are indoor and outdoor onsen, an indoor pool and a spa.
Hakone is easy to reach from Tokyo by bullet train to Odawara or the Odakyu Romancecar to Hakone-Yumoto, followed by the scenic Hakone Tozan Railway. The next morning, the Hakone loop, with Lake Ashi and possible views of Mount Fuji on clear days, makes a perfect outing.
Ryokan Etiquette for First-Timers
Ryokan etiquette is simple once you know it and staff are always happy to guide you.
- Take off your shoes at the entrance and never step onto tatami in slippers.
- Wear the yukata provided, left side over right, around the inn and to dinner.
- Wash thoroughly at the shower stations before entering any communal bath and keep towels out of the water.
- Communal onsen are usually separated by gender and used without swimwear. For bathing together, book a room with a private bath or a private reservable bath.
- Arrive by mid-afternoon. Dinner is served at a set time and you will want time to soak first.
- Tattoos may be restricted in some communal baths. Ask in advance, or rely on a private bath.
When to Go
Japan's most famous seasons are spring and autumn. Cherry blossoms typically bloom in late March and early April. Autumn foliage peaks around November. Both are glorious seasons. Both are also when ryokan sell out far in advance, so book six to 12 months ahead. Early summer brings lush green moss and fewer visitors, though June is usually rainy. Winter is quiet and crisp, with the occasional dusting of snow on Kyoto's temples and Hakone's hills. Winter mornings are often the clearest for views of Mount Fuji. July and August are hot and humid.
Planning Tips
- Mix your stays. Many couples spend a couple of nights at Gora Kadan in Hakone, then move to Kyoto for Hoshinoya Kyoto or Aman Kyoto, with a city hotel in Tokyo at either end.
- Use luggage forwarding. Japan's excellent luggage delivery services let you send big bags ahead, so you can ride trains with just a small overnight bag.
- Confirm dinner. At Hoshinoya Kyoto, dinner is typically booked separately from the room. At Aman Kyoto, breakfast is usually included.
- Plan sightseeing early. Arashiyama's bamboo grove and Kinkaku-ji are most peaceful right at opening time.
- Book a private dinner seating or in-room dining for your first night; after a long flight, kaiseki in your yukata is far more romantic than a restaurant.
