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ryokan

American  
[ree-oh-kahn, ryaw-kahn] / ˈri oʊˌkɑn, ˈrjɔˈkɑn /

noun

  • ryokan,
    plural
  • ryokans
    plural
  1. a traditional Japanese inn or small hotel whose floors are covered with tatami.


ryokan British  
/ rɪˈəʊkən /

noun

  1. a traditional Japanese inn

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

Etymology

Origin of ryokan

Borrowed into English from Japanese around 1960–65

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

"I'm hoping and anticipating that a lot of foreigners will come to Japan, just like before COVID," said Sawa, the third-generation owner of the Sawanoya ryokan in Tokyo.

From Reuters ● Oct. 10, 2022

Tomoko Okuda, who runs Shiraume, a ryokan that welcomes overseas guests, believes more could be done to educate tourists about local customs before they arrive.

From The Guardian ● Jun. 14, 2018

A “thing” can be the one strawberry at the ryokan I described above: the world stops, as the Japanese diner focuses on every sensual aspect, and every metaphoric implication, of the food.

From Forbes ● Aug. 20, 2014

In a recent Fast Lane column, he regaled readers about a dinner at a ryokan, a traditional country inn, near Karuizawa, Japan.

From New York Times ● Jan. 4, 2012

We stayed in Japanese ryokan, or inns, for seven nights of our trip.

From Washington Post

From ryokans overlooking rice fields to resorts on private islands, there’s no shortage of inviting places to stay in Asia.

From New York Times ● Sep. 27, 2022

In my Kinosaki ryokans, at lavish kaiseki dinners, the learning curve was steeper.

From New York Times ● Dec. 4, 2018

At ryokans like this, and at other top-quality Japanese restaurants, they serve the famous multi-course kaiseki meal, which has evolved from the ancient tea ceremony.

From Forbes ● Aug. 20, 2014

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