How to Choose the Best Ryokan for You | Japan 

This is a great question that we definitely should have covered! This depends on several things. 1. How far in advance does the ryokan accept bookings? We recommend using the reservation form to check availability (without going through with the payments), as many accommodations in Japan only accept reservations 6 or even as little as 2-3 months in advance. Some ryokan aren't limited, in which case you can book as early as you like. 2. Is it a weekend or a public holiday? Weekend travel is popular for locals so these slots tend to be taken much faster. Don't expect availability 2 weeks in advance! Even weekdays can be booked out if there are public holidays, or in cases like group bookings, company retreats, or possibly even maintenance (this is just a guess. Ryokan have a lot of things to maintain after all, from the baths, to the rooms, and even the gardens that some rooms may have private access to. Use the reservation form to check that the room/ryokan has availability on the dates that you want, as once we saw a whole week booked out 9 months in advance!). 3. Are you eyeing a specific room, or just a specific ryokan? One thing we didn't touch on as much in the video is that some ryokan have limited numbers of specific rooms. If you want a specific room because of (for example) the size of the room, a private open-air bath, the view, the theme/vibe, etc., then you may need to consider that there may only be 1 or 2 of these rooms in the whole establishment. If you're less invested in a specific room than the ryokan in general, then you can probably be more relaxed with how early you book. 4. Is there an earlybird rate? As we discussed, some ryokan offer the same basic plan for a discounted price the earlier you book! Use the direct website to check the reservation form and see if this is offered for the ryokan you want. Some ryokan offer different rates for booking at least 30, 60, or even 90 days in advance, and these can make a sizeable dent in the total price. 5. What's the cancellation fee? Is your itinerary flexible? This one's pretty self-explanatory. As these rooms are expensive the cancellation plans/fees can be quite strict, and can be expensive if you change or cancel up to 2 weeks in advance. If you're prone to changing plans, this might be something to consider, especially in the cases where you're charged in advance of your stay. For the ryokan we stayed at, we paid on-site, though this was pre-Covid (2019). We're pretty pedantic when it comes to our travels, so we map out our plans well in advance, and book as early as possible when the option becomes available. We know that not everyone is like us, but we would suggest that 1-2 months beforehand would be a comfortable window to book. Hope this helps!

@@TwinSpeakEatGo Wow, thank you so much for your detailled answer, I greatly appreciate it! This is very helpful! 🙌

@@TwinSpeakEatGo I have never seen this long reply. :D

Thank you for your feedback! We're glad it was useful, and we hope you enjoy your ryokan experience!

Go to the website and start the reservation process. They'll have meal options you can choose (but not the menu!) 🤗🤗