ryokan

American  

[ree-oh-kahn, ryaw-kahn] / ˈri oʊˌkɑn, ˈryɔˈkɑn /

noun

plural

ryokan, ryokans

1. a traditional Japanese inn or small hotel whose floors are covered with tatami.

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ryokan British  

/ rɪˈəʊkən /

noun

1. a traditional Japanese inn

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Etymology

Origin of ryokan

Borrowed into English from Japanese around 1960–65

Example Sentences

Stay If you can’t stay in a traditional ryokan, consider a business hotel with an onsen, or a shared hotel, essentially a hostel.

From New York Times • Dec. 4, 2018

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

Guests at a traditional ryokan inn run by the Adachi family are fed salted, grilled ayu, but it is supplied by a local fishmonger.

From Reuters

One of the most exciting parts of the walk for me is the chance to spend some nights at wayside inns known as ryokan or, when simpler, as minshuku.

From Washington Post