Ryokan

A ryokan (旅館)[a] is a type of traditional Japanese inn that typically features tatami-matted rooms, communal baths, and other public areas where visitors may wear nemaki and talk with the owner.

Almost all ryokan feature common bathing areas or ofuro, usually segregated by gender, using the water from a hot spring (onsen) if any are nearby.

Typically ryokan provide guests with a yukata to wear; they might also have games such as table tennis, and possibly geta that visitors can borrow for strolls outside.

Meals typically consist of traditional Japanese cuisine known as kaiseki, which features seasonal and regional specialties.

Minshuku (民宿) are a low-budget version of ryokan, roughly equivalent to a British boarding house or a bed and breakfast.

The overall experience is much the same, but the food is simpler, dining may be optional and is often communal, rooms usually lack a private toilet, and guests may have to lay out their own bedding.