Looking to travel within Japan, or hosting guests from overseas? Why not experience a night at a traditional Japanese inn (ryokan) or guest house? However, finding and reserving these accommodations can sometimes be a hassle, especially if you don’t speak Japanese. Well, Jeff Aasgaard in Kawanishi, Hyogo, has a solution for you. As he writes:
“I operate Japanese Guest Houses (http://www.JapaneseGuestHouses.com/), which is a free service to help English-speaking travelers make reservations at ryokans all over Japan. We represent over 500 ryokans in all price ranges.”
Japanese Guest Houses features extensive, reliable, and detailed listings of various traditional accommodations within Japan, and also offers excellent general advice as to what kind of ryokan to choose, travel tips for beginners and seasoned Japan veterans, and even what to expect when staying overnight in a Buddhist temple! The photos, guest comments, and guest ratings for each property are particularly valuable, and the range of accommodations starts at a relatively frugal (in Japan) 7,000-10,000 yen per person with two meals. If you’re planning a trip soon, or just curious, do check out this extensive gem of an English website.
Note that here are as many different types of ryokans in Japan as there are hotels in the world. Prices range from top-end luxury down to the rather more affordable. Jeff’s site will help you find frugal options, but don’t expect all ryokans on his site to be frugal. Remember, his site exists to tell you about various ryokans in Japan, not only the cheap ones. Use the classification system he has developed in order to find the cheapest option. (“D” seems to be the cheapest.) If you can’t find a cheap ryokan in a particular area, look into other options for accommodation in that area.
“FJ Friends” are foreign-owned or foreign-friendly businesses and services around Japan. If you know of a worthy business, or would like to introduce your own business to our readers, contact us!!