The accommodation style is thought to date back to the 8th century CE.
Ryokan are traditional Japanese inns that offer an only-in-Japan experience sought after by many visitors. Presenting omotenashi—hospitality for over a thousand years, the accommodation style is thought to date back to the 8th century CE. The experience is highly choreographed, and like most things in Japan, there’s a time-honored set of rules to follow, like wearing the provided yukata robe, showing up on time for meals, which are ordered in advance (and generally included in the room rate) and cooked to be perfect at the time stated.
Ryokan have traditionally offered a kaiseki set menu made from seasonal ingredients, alongside a traditional Japanese breakfast with a focus on local specialties. It’s considered essential to dine-in when staying at a ryokan, as the cuisine is considered integral to the experience, but it’s also a part of the rhythm and business model of this ancient form of hospitality.
A recent article published in several Australian newspapers suggests that Western tourists are driving changes to Japan’s ryokan—namely, that they’re requesting Western-style meals instead of Japanese ones. Perhaps they prefer not to enjoy delicacies such as the Tochigi speciality Shimotsukare, made from finely grated rainbow trout, vegetables, and soy beans simmered in miso served at KAI Kinugawa, or the thick slice of soft-grilled Japanese yam served for breakfast at KAI Sengokuhara. Many ryokan have given in to the demand, including several properties operated by Hoshino Resorts, whose KAI line of ryokan can be found throughout Japan. Some, including KAI Yufuin in Oita, offer guests a choice of Western or Japanese breakfasts when booking their stay.
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Japan Today notes that it may seem odd that Western tourists are preferring to skip ryokan meals when Japanese food is more popular outside Japan than ever before, but also notes that popular Japanese foods like sushi and sashimi rarely figure into the ryokan experience. They also note that many ryokan in Kyoto, popular with Western tourists, have modified their breakfasts, making them buffet-style with dishes that have wider international appeal, diluting the ryokan experience.
Other complaints include western guests attempting to cancel meal packages mid-stay (at which point the ryokan would already have purchased the food) or requesting partial refunds for disappointment in the meal offerings. Sora News notes this is particularly notable in Kyoto, where Japanese travelers (who are familiar with the ryokan experience and know what type of meals to expect) have increasingly avoided the city as it becomes increasingly popular with foreign tourists.
One blogger who queried several ryokan in Kyoto found that they had differing ways of handling the issue. One ryokan stopped offering meals entirely, while another began restricting foreign visitors to room-only packages after too many instances of returned or cancelled food or disputed charges.
While it’s typical in consumer-oriented hospitality contexts that hoteliers will provide what their guests request, it’s almost anathema for such a structured property type like a ryokan—sought after because they’re emblematic of Japanese culture—to compromise the very traditions that theoretically make them appealing to foreign visitors to begin with. It’s also worth noting that many ryokan are small, with only a handful of rooms looked after by a small, multi-tasking staff, and they don’t have the ability to provide the massive amount of culinary choice a larger hotel would.
Travelers can be good guests in ryokans by researching their stay in advance and choosing experiences that best fit their needs instead of asking for refunds after the fact. Better yet, take the plunge and try the Japanese cuisine offered for dinner and breakfast in the ryokan. Many ryokan take special pride in their cooking, and have for generations. It might be just as easy as skipping eggs for breakfast or two while traveling abroad to help Japan protect the traditions around one of its oldest hospitality styles.
AloJapan.com