There are somewhere around 50,000 ryokans still operational around Japan today, from the traditional to the modern to the ultra luxurious, yet within that number only somewhere between 3000-4000 are classified as onsen ryokans, meaning the properties use onsen/hot spring water in their bath facilities. Remember if it’s simply a ryokan, its public baths are reheated water.

Having travelled all 47 prefectures and experienced in the hundreds of onsen ryokans and ryokans combined (yet still very far away from visiting all of them) - here are some of my favourite more traditional style onsen ryokans with some exceptional ryokans/shukubo*/minshuku** included. Every one listed here, I have personally stayed at and loved for various reasons. Hopefully I will finally get around to writing a more in depth article about each one over time, but for now enjoy this quick list with their offical website links, and the in-depth article (when available).

*shukubo: a traditional Japanese temple stay, offering similar elements to a ryokan but often with vegetarian cuisine along with meditation and other spiritual elements.

**minshuku: a traditional “homestay” experience (think like an bed & breakfast) where the owners of a big house may rent out rooms/separate buildings on their land - breakfast and dinner generally included too - a very local experience

remember: if there is a private onsen, that means tattoos are ok for bathing in the private onsen (not public onsen) | if public onsen is tattoo friendly - “tattoo friendly” will be written underneath

ps. yes some of these are so local and small, they do not have a website presence!