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10 Best Budget Ryokans in Japan

by Miho Okamoto | 
Ryokan
Matsubaya Ryokan

Matsubaya Ryokan

Ryokans can be expensive to plan for and many tourists shy away from the experience due to budget constraints. However, you can’t really complete a Japanese experience without staying in one! There’s no need to splurge all your savings just to be able to immerse yourself in the culture that is the ryokan. There are multiple options around to choose from, most of which are located in Kyoto, Tokyo, or Hakone. Here, we’ve rattled off a list of highly recommended ryokans that provide exceptional service and a satisfying experience without breaking the bank.

 

Andon Ryokan

Andon Ryokan

Andon Ryokan

Andon Ryokan prides itself as Tokyo’s first designer ryokan–a modern take on the traditional Japanese inn made to welcome and introduce foreigners to Japanese culture. With a quaint interior decorated with antiques and accessories that bring a homey feel, guests are sure to feel comfortable.

The inn has guest rooms decorated with Japanese art and wooden fixtures and guests will have a well-maintained shared bathroom. Since Tokyo doesn’t have a natural hot spring, Andon Ryokan took the idea of an onsen experience and created a jacuzzi room with walls lined with beautiful tile pop-art depicting Japanese Culture. There’s even an antique teahouse on the first floor where guests can mingle, and observe and participate in tea ceremonies.

Since Andon Ryokan is well placed in Taito City, it’s also a quick walk to the historic Asakusa District.

Ryokan Sawanoya 

Sawanoya at Yanaka, Tokyo by Starbacks, 2008

Sawanoya at Yanaka, Tokyo by Starbacks, 2008

Ryokan Sawanoya is a family-run Japanese inn, and one of Tokyo’s most popular lodging choices in Taito, if not the most popular, especially among international tourists. 

The inn provides a warm, welcoming atmosphere that goes well with the charming rooms and service that has stayed consistently satisfying. Guests even come back just to be welcomed by the small, family-run business again. Ryokan Sawanoya provides two private baths that are open for reservations–a cypress bath, and a pottery bath, each one overlooking the Japanese garden. 

The inn is conveniently located in the city and provides bicycle rental for those who wish to explore the nearby local attractions and tourist destinations. 

In addition, the building is a suitable accommodation for persons with disabilities, providing an entrance slope and an easily-accessible bathroom. The friendly staff will also be able to provide assistance and can communicate in English.

  • Website: http://www.sawanoya.com/
  • Email: ryokan@sawanoya.com
  • Address: 2 Chome-3-番11号 Yanaka, Taito City, Tokyo 110-0001, Japan

Nishikiro

Nishikiro provides guests an authentic Japanese ryokan experience with its tatami rooms and hospitable staff. At the entrance of the ryokan, you’ll be able to find a charming Japanese garden with a pond where carps are freely swimming around.

The rooms offer all the basic conveniences like heating and ironing. Although the quaint inn is a little dated, it is still well-maintained and presents quality service with its helpful staff and management. Nishikiro is highly recommended by previous guests for its Japanese hospitality at an excellent price.

The budget inn is conveniently close to the center of Kyoto and local attractions like the Satsuma Yashiki no Ato, and Kintetsu Mall Miyakomichi.

  • Website: http://nishikiro.sakura.ne.jp/
  • Telephone：075（371）1123
  • FAX：075（371）8790
  • Address: 711-7, Higashishiokojicho, Shimogyo Ward, Kyoto, 600-8216, Japan

Ryokan Kamogawa

Kamogawa Ryokan

Kamogawa Ryokan

Ryokan Kamogawa Asakusa is a great stay for guests who are looking forward to exploring Asakusa, being a short walk from Kaminarimon and Sensoji Temple. Despite its close proximity to local attractions, the neighborhood is peaceful at night, a perfect end to an exhausting day of exploration.

The Japanese inn offers traditional tatami-mat rooms with futon bedding and a Japanese tea set. There is also an on-site restaurant, a public bath, and complimentary internet.

The ryokan also offers a relaxing massage along with its large public bath and separate shower room. Ryokan Kamogawa Asakusa offers all the experiences at an onsen ryokan with a reasonable price.

The on-site restaurant or tea room serves Japanese and Western breakfast and dinner daily.

Ryokan Kamogawa is a top choice for guests, families, and small groups, and has even earned a Certificate of Excellence in 2014 from TripAdvisor for its exceptional service.

Ryokan Nakajimaya

Ryokan Nakajimaya is ideally located in Central Kyoto and close to a metro station, and known attractions such as the Nishiki Market, Kyoto Aquarium, and Nijo Castle. It has Japanese-style rooms and a courtyard garden. Despite its central location, the neighborhood is quiet and peaceful.

Ryokan Nakajimaya features elegant rooms with tatami mat flooring and futon beds, along with views of the property garden. Each room is air-conditioned and is provided with yukata robes, a flat-screen television, and a sitting area. The bathrooms and toilets are shared among guests.

The ryokan is highly recommended for its prime location and for guests who wish to have an authentic Japanese ryokan experience as well as explore the heart of Kyoto.

Fuji-Hakone Guest House

Fuji-Hakone Guest House, fujihakone.com

Fuji-Hakone Guest House is a cozy family inn that provides outstanding service and is especially welcoming to international tourists. The ryokan’s hospitality has been awarded by a Certificate of Excellence from TripAdvisor and a Certificate of Recognition for education, friendship, and cultural awareness by the People to People International.

The welcoming staff is well-versed in English and are extremely helpful to its guests. There is also a common area with a refrigerator, a microwave, and green tea, where fellow travelers and like-minded individuals can share and bond over their experiences. There is also a Western breakfast available in the dining room.

The homey Japanese inn provides simple accommodations with tatami-mat flooring and futon beds. Some rooms will have a view of the surrounding nature. Guests will be able to relax in the natural hot springs bath after exploring the sites in Hakone, such as The Little Prince Museum, the Hakone Wetlands Botanical Garden, and the Samurai Art Museum.

Kyoto Nanzenji Ryokan Yachiyo

Kyoto Nanzenji Ryokan Yachiyo, kyoto-ryokan.co.jp

Kyoto Nanzenji Ryokan Yachiyo or Yachiyo Hotel Kyoto is a popular choice among travelers and history enthusiasts because of its traditional Japanese elements. It displays the influences of the Meiji Period villas that surround it in the neighborhood and the gardens around the property.

The ryokan offers traditional Japanese accommodations fitted with tatami mat flooring and futon beds, some rooms equipped with semi-open-air baths. In addition, there is also an indoor communal bath that is open to all guests.

Nearby, you’ll find the Nanzenji Temple, Eikando, and Heian Jingu Shrine, and multiple other historical sites that would excite any culture enthusiast. There is also a restaurant that overlooks the garden and features delicately prepared Japanese cuisine, including vegetarian, for the guests to partake in.

Matsubaya Ryokan

Matsubaya Ryokan

Matsubaya Ryokan

Matsubaya Ryokan is a traditional Japanese inn established way back in 1884 and is located in the heart of Shimogyo Ward in Kyoto. The inn is highly recommended for its prime location, close to the many city attractions that Shimogyo has to offer, in a way that doesn’t deplete your savings.

The Japanese inn offers recently renovated rooms fitted with tatami mat flooring and futon beds. You’ll even get to don yukata robes during your stay. Matsubaya Ryokan prides itself on giving its guests an authentic Japanese experience and is especially welcoming to first-timers at a ryokan and international tourists.

Matsubaya Ryokan has earned its place in the TripAdvisor Hall of Fame in 2015, and a Certificate of Excellence for its exceptional service and customer satisfaction.

Ryokan Kanade

Ryokan Kanade, or simply Kanade, is a traditional Japanese inn, and a culinary inn, located in Sakyo Ward in Kyoto. Also referred to as a “hidden inn”, Kanade is tucked in a quiet residential area, but still a short distance away from tourist spots.  

Kanade prides itself on its Kyoto kaiseki that is served and prepared daily by the ryokan’s first-class chef, using the freshest local and seasonal ingredients. There is also a featured 170-year-old Japanese garden, “Sou” which guests can stroll in or view from the terraces in their rooms. Each guest room is fitted with tatami mat flooring and futon beds, as well as shoji window screens to complete the classical aesthetic.

Kanade is also conveniently located within a short distance from Nanzenji Temple, the Heian Shrine, Ginkakuji, and multiple attractions. The Japanese ryokan is highly recommended not just for the sightseeing opportunities around the area but also for its hospitality.

Taito Ryokan

Taito Ryokan

Taito Ryokan, libertyhouse.gr

The quaint Japanese inn, Taito Ryokan, is conveniently located in a residential area in Taito City, close to many city attractions and tourist destinations. Taking advantage of this, the ryokan offers a bicycle rental for guests who wish to explore the city more intimately.

The traditional inn was built in 1950 and has since kept its traditional interior and maintained using all-natural materials. The Japanese style house has its rooms fitted with tatami flooring, where guests may rest and sleep on futon beds. Some rooms will have a balcony that overlooks the city streets. There are also a number of shared facilities in the ryokan such as a bathroom and a common room with games and cable television.

The cozy establishment, described as a “ryokan-style hostel”, offers itself as the guests’ home away from home. The welcoming staff is praised for its hospitality and service.

Ryokan Manners and Etiquette

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