Family accommodation in Japan 2024/2025

What are the options?

Accommodation in Japan falls broadly into two categories: Western-style and Japanese-style.

In Western-style, you’ll find everything you’d expect from an international hotel (plus corridors liberally sprinkled with microwaves, ironing boards and vending machines filled with everything from beer to hot canned sweetcorn soup). In Japanese-style, it’s a different story: you’ll sleep on futon mattresses laid out on tatami-mat floors; eat beautiful, traditional meals prepared by your hosts, and perhaps have access to a private or shared hot-spring bath (onsen).

The type of accommodation you choose will depend on how you like to travel, but most families choose to stay in Western-style accommodation for the majority of their trip, with a couple of nights in Japanese-style inns for the experience.

Before we get into the nitty gritty, here’s the lowdown on the types of accommodation you’ll find in Japan, and what it means for family travel:

Japanese-style

Ryokan

In its most basic sense, the ryokan is a traditional Japanese guesthouse — but that doesn’t even begin to sum it up.

A ryokan isn’t just a place to lay your head. Whereas a hotel is a base for activities and excursions, a ryokan is the destination. It’s a respite from the world, where you go to check in, throw on your yukata bathrobe, and sequester yourself from the daily grind. The quality of a ryokan isn’t measured in fancy furniture or plush trimmings — in fact, the very fanciest ryokan guest room might contain nothing but a futon mattress on a tatami-mat floor. Instead, quality is measured by the warmth of its welcome, the character of its hot-spring baths, and the flavour of its exquisite kaiseki meals. It’s a completely different aesthetic experience, and one that we believe every traveller to Japan should have.

We’ve stayed in hundreds — if not thousands — of ryokan around the country, and an unforgettable experience doesn’t need to break the bank. They range from budget to exclusive, and from small, family-run inns to massive buildings with hundreds of rooms.

Unlike Western-style hotels, where the quality of the accommodation is usually judged by the luxuriousness of the rooms and facilities, ryokan tend to be judged by the quality of their food, hot-spring baths, attentive service and natural surroundings — which often include exquisite landscaped gardens. That’s not to say that ryokan interiors aren’t lovely, but sometimes Western tourists are surprised by the sparseness of the décor, even in high-end properties. Usually, guest rooms are empty except for a low table and chairs, futon bedding, and perhaps a judiciously placed ikebana arrangement.

At a pricier ryokan, you may have a private hot-spring bath (rotenburo) attached to your room, which is fantastic for families to share. At most other ryokan you’ll have shared baths, which will be segregated by gender, and there may be baths that can be booked out for private family use.

Machiya

If you like the sound of a traditional stay but you don’t think your kids will be up for the food, a machiya could be a great alternative.

Machiya are traditional, two-storey Japanese-style townhouses that can be rented out as self-catering holiday homes, mainly in Kyoto and Kanazawa. These houses often date back to the Edo period (1603—1867), but have been updated with modern kitchens, bathrooms and laundry facilities. Machiya are typically narrow but deep, with tatami-mat rooms, futon bedding, sliding paper screens and perhaps a small courtyard garden.

Machiya can typically sleep up to nine people, and are perfect if your family likes to have the run of a whole property rather than just a pokey hotel room.

Minshuku

Minshuku are like the B&B version of ryokan. They’re typically smaller and more budget-friendly, and may or may not have access to a shared onsen (though you almost certainly won’t have a private one). Like at a ryokan, you’ll sleep on futon mattresses on tatami floors, and if meals are included they tend to be more rustic local fare than at a pricier ryokan (though it’ll still be delicious). Bathroom facilities may also be shared.

Minshuku are common in rural areas, and if your kids are up for an adventure they can be a great way to meet local perople and experience everyday life in the Japanese countryside.

Shukubo

Shukubo are pilgrims’ lodgings, and you’ll find them attached to Buddhist temples all over Japan. Like minshuku and ryokan, you’ll sleep on futon mattresses on the floor, but here the facilities are more basic still – with shared bathroom facilities, a spartan aesthetic, and chilly corridors in winter.

The main appeal of staying at a shukubo is to experience life as a Buddhist monk, rising at the crack of dawn to attend morning prayers and dining on vegetarian shojin ryori cuisine for dinner. It’s a wonderful experience, but not something we usually recommend for families.

Western-style

City hotels

Ranging from the bland to the swanky, most city hotels in Japan are the same branded chain hotels found in the rest of the world. You might also notice a few more thoughtful details such as microwaves and vending machines in the corridors, but in general the benefit of a Western-style hotel is familiarity.

That means Western-style beds, Western-style breakfast options (usually served buffet-style, but probably à la carte post-Covid), and the flexibility to eat out in the evenings rather than commit to traditional dinners as you would at a ryokan. Depending on the grade of hotel, you might also have access to extras such as a concierge service, Western-style restaurants, a bar, swimming pool, and various kids’ club activities.

It’s worth noting here that pools aren’t that common in Japan, and you’ll usually only find them in Western-style hotels of 4* and above. Even then, there might be an age limit (commonly 12+ or adults only), and you may have to pay extra to use it. In short, if access to a pool is important to you, be sure to check beforehand!

Business hotels

At the basic end of the Western hotel spectrum, business hotels can be a great, no-frills option for families on a budget.

Because they’re designed for the travelling salaryman, they usually have lots of handy facilities like shared-use washing machines, dryers, microwaves, and vending machines full of snacks. Just be careful to book a room on a non-smoking floor, and double-check the size of the room before you book as they can be pretty teeny.

Apartment-style accommodation

Self-catered apartments aren’t as common in Japan as in the West (yet), but they do exist – and they’re a great choice if you’re a family who wants plenty of self-contained living space in which to cook meals, relax, play games and generally make yourselves at home.

Each apartment has a full kitchen and dining area with all the basic cooking equipment and utensils, making catering to a variety of appetites easy. You’ll have laundry facilities for washing grubby clothes, and there’s usually a front desk where you can ask about local recommendations and other services. The private, shared space also means that you won’t have to deal with having your children in different rooms, as you might in a hotel.

This type of accommodation is gaining popularity in Japan, but for now it’s typically city-based and mid-range (there are a few slightly fancier options, but nothing luxurious). If you’d like to see a bit of rural Japan, it’s perfectly possible to base yourself at a city apartment and make day trips into the countryside.

Other

Capsule hotels

Capsule hotels are one of those only-in-Japan experiences, but in all honesty they’re not what we’d recommend for families.

As the name suggests, you each get your own “capsule” pod to sleep in, and floors are segmented by gender so you’ll most likely be spread out through the hotel. They were really designed for businessmen who’ve missed the last train home, so it’s not really much of a family vibe!

The nitty-gritty

The nitty-gritty

Now we’ve covered the basics, it’s time to get into the details. To help you decide which style or combination of accommodation is right for your family, here are a few things to consider:

Isn’t it uncomfortable sleeping on the floor?

Lots of guests worry about this, but Japanese futons are thick, fluffy, and very comfortable indeed. The only caveat we’d add is that the pillows tend to be thinner than we’re used to in the West. This isn’t a problem for the vast majority of guests, but might be something to think about if you’re particularly picky in that department.

If you’re still not into the idea — or if getting up and down from the floor is going to be an issue — we can recommend ryokan and machiya that have both futons and Western-style beds.

Won’t the kids bother me at night, if we’re all in one room?

No more than usual! In the 20 years we’ve been sending families to Japan, the overwhelming majority of parents report that they sleep just as well in traditional accommodation as at home. If you’re still worried, why not stick to just a night or two in a ryokan for your first trip, just in case?

How does the food work at a ryokan?

Because food is such a big part of the ryokan experience, you’ll nearly always have dinner and breakfast included in your stay. This will typically be served in your room or a shared dining area with seating on the floor, and you’ll likely be given a set time slot for dinner.

The type of food served at a ryokan is traditional multi-course cuisine (called kaiseki), which consists of many different small, seasonal and regional dishes brought out at regular intervals. Most ryokan guests choose to wear their yukata bathrobe to dinner, breakfast and onsen visits, which can be a fun novelty for children.

For breakfast, the pricier inns will usually offer a choice between traditional Japanese and Western-style options (which might be more or less “Western” than you’re expecting!) If Western food is a must for you be sure to check in advance, as it's not always offered.

For more about eating at a ryokan, have a look at our section on food and families.

I’d like to experience a traditional stay, but my kids won’t eat the food. What are our options?

If you have a picky eater in your midst, the food issue might put you off staying at traditional Japanese-style accommodation. It’s possible to book a ryokan stay without included meals, but it’s not really the done thing. Instead, perhaps you might consider staying at machiya townhouse, where you can sleep in traditional Japanese fashion but have your own kitchen for preparing meals.

Will we all be able to sleep in one room?

Depending on the size of your family, usually yes. In bigger cities, it’s easy to find twin and triple rooms in Western hotels, with a smattering offering quad rooms (four single beds) and even fewer offering rooms for five or six. If you want to stay in Western-style accommodation and have your own private space, it’s probably better to consider staying in a self-service apartment.

In Japanese-style accommodation, it’s common to fit up to four people in one tatami-mat room, and some may accommodate up to five. While tatami rooms tend to be smaller than Western hotel rooms, they’re also more versatile. During the day, the futons are cleared away to create living space, and while you’re at dinner the staff will roll them back out ready for bed.

If you’ve got a larger family and being in one room is a dealbreaker for you, it might dictate the destinations you can stay in. This isn’t necessarily a problem — for instance, if Hiroshima doesn’t have accommodation for six, you could easy base yourself in a machiya in Kyoto and do Hiroshima as a day trip. Chat to one of our travel consultants if you’d like to know more.

Are connecting rooms available?

In most big cities, yes — although many hotels won’t confirm that you’ve been given interconnecting rooms until check-in. It’s also possible to request adjacent, non-connecting rooms, but again this may not be confirmed until you actually arrive.

It’s worth noting here that in many hotels in Japan, certain room types will be specific to certain floors. So, for instance, triples might all be on floor eight, while double and twin rooms are on floors ten to eleven. This means that if you’re getting a room for yourself and one for your children, there’s a chance they could be on separate floors.

I’m not keen on moving hotel every couple of days. Can we stay put and still see plenty of Japan?

Absolutely. Many families understandably don’t like the idea of packing and unpacking every couple of days, and choose instead to base themselves in just two or three destinations (say, Tokyo, Kyoto and Kanazawa).

Day trips are super-easy to do, and you can quite quickly get out into the countryside from any of these locations. It’ll mean a little more time on the train if you want to see some different parts of the country, but most bullet trains have free Wi-Fi so at least the kids will be entertained. For our clients, we provide plenty of day trip recommendations and detailed instructions on how to do them.

We’re OK with moving about. What are the benefits?

If you’re up for an adventure and don’t mind doing a bit of unpacking and re-packing, a multi-destination holiday can be a fantastic adventure. It means you’ll get to stay in several different types of accommodation, both traditional and modern, and experience smaller destinations away from the orbit of the big tourist centres. Japan also has an excellent, country-wide luggage forwarding system, which means you don’t need to worry about carrying your bags between destinations at all. For more on the logistics of getting around Japan, take a look at our page on family and transport.

Are you ready to start planning your family adventure? Get in touch with one of our expert travel consultants and get started today.