{"id":2536,"date":"2017-07-18T14:15:03","date_gmt":"2017-07-18T05:15:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/hrcjapan.com\/tokyo-ryokan-guesthouse\/"},"modified":"2025-08-28T11:35:14","modified_gmt":"2025-08-28T02:35:14","slug":"tokyo-ryokan-guesthouse","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/hrcjapan.com\/ja\/tokyo-ryokan-guesthouse\/","title":{"rendered":"Experience a Taste of Traditional Japan at a Tokyo Ryokan Guesthouses"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Sometimes, when living in the capital, it can be easy to get wrapped up in the cosmopolitan atmosphere of globalization. Of course there are neon kanji signs flashing wherever you look, but you are never far away from a Starbucks, a McDonalds, an Italian restaurant or an Irish bar. In fact, despite living in Japan’s heartland, daily life can lack that, well, Japaneseness.<\/p>\n

With this in mind, if you want to experience the real, traditional Japan, it can be quite difficult to do so. And still, in this most cosmopolitan of cities, there lies a haven of the old world: the Japanese guesthouse, or ‘ryokan’. These traditional Japanese inns generally include features such as\u00a0tatami\u00a0floors,\u00a0futon\u00a0beds, Japanese style baths and local\u00a0cuisine, where guests absorb the tranquility of the location, relax in ‘yukata’<\/a> summer kimonos, and soak their bodies in ‘sento’ or ‘onsen’ spa baths.<\/p>\n

While many of these ryokan tend to be in rural tourist destinations, there are still some amazing places in the capital at which you can spend the night and enjoy that little slice of traditional Japan. Below are a few of the more interesting ones.<\/p>\n

Homeikan<\/h2>\n

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From its wood and glass-fronted exterior to the ornamental garden, when it comes to traditional, you really can’t go far wrong with Homeikan. Deisgnated as an ‘important cultural property’, it boasts two large communal baths in each of the three buildings, including a mineral bath, and a private ‘family bath’ is an option. The rooms themselves are all wood and paper as you might expect, but closer inspection shows beautiful detail in the carpentry. To enhance the relaxation of your stay a massage service is available, however be aware there is no entertainment in the local area, such as restaurants or bars, and you would have to trek 2outs to\u00a0Ueno or Ochanomizu if you want a more lively evening.<\/p>\n