Press & Media

About the publication

Founded

2024 (publishing since August 2024)

Editorial scope

633 published ryokan properties across 37 onsen areas of Japan

Languages

Anglais, japonais, chinois simplifié, chinois traditionnel, coréen, français, espagnol

Editor

Japan Ryokan Guide editorial team

Editorial standards

Read our full editorial policy — covers verification, photo sourcing, corrections, and conflict-of-interest disclosure.

Press data resources

Nos jeux de données structurés sur les ryokans sont publiés sous forme de fichiers CSV ouverts en licence CC-BY 4.0 — téléchargeables directement, sans demande préalable. Chaque fichier comporte un dictionnaire des colonnes et les dates de vérification dans ses lignes d'en-tête. Libres de réutilisation avec attribution, en utilisant la citation indiquée sur chaque jeu de données.

Les trois jeux de données sont sous licence CC-BY 4.0. Citez-les sous la forme « Japan Ryokan Guide — <nom du jeu de données>, 2026, CC-BY 4.0 », ou créez un lien direct vers japanryokanguide.com/press. Pour un extrait personnalisé ou un entretien sur la méthodologie, écrivez à press@japanryokanguide.com.

Story angles

Pre-built angles for journalists working a Japan-travel or hospitality beat. Each one is grounded in a dataset or position we can defend on the record.

1. 01

   Of the ryokans in our directory that state a tattoo policy on their own or their operator's website, about half ban tattoos in the shared bath — only 13% allow them unconditionally

   Counting only what inns state on their own or their operator's official websites (each classification backed by a quote from that site, with the quoted text checked against the live page at the time of research), 67 of the 135 inns with a stated policy — 49.6% — ban tattoos in the shared bath and name no private option. About one in two (68 inns, 50.4%) offer some route to bathe, mostly via a cover-up or a reservable private bath, and only 13.3% (18 inns) allow tattoos unconditionally. The other 501 of 636 published inns say nothing on their own or their operator's official site that we could quote — unknown, not banned. An earlier count of 330 verified inns included classifications we could not source to the inn or its operator and is superseded. Backed by the live Tattoo Policy Registry (636 inns; official-source audit and counts accessed 2026-09-29).

2. 02

   Ce que coûte réellement un ryokan en 2026 : une médiane de 210 $ sur 612 auberges vérifiées

   L'Indice des prix des ryokans ventile les tarifs médians par personne sur 35 régions thermales. La mise à jour du T3 2026 fait apparaître une médiane nationale de 210 $ par personne, l'échantillon ayant presque doublé — une histoire de composition, non un effondrement du marché.

3. 03

   The 5-category tattoo policy framework explained

   allowed / cover_up / private_only / not_allowed / unknown — our editorial five-category taxonomy for making our inns navigable for international travelers (at the 2026-09-29 audit: 636 inns, 135 with a policy stated on the inn's or operator's official website, 501 still unknown). Open for citation.

4. 04

   Why we publish our ryokan data as open CSVs

   Une méta-histoire sur les données éditoriales ouvertes dans le secteur des guides de voyage : comment un éditeur de ryokans en sept langues a décidé que fournir aux journalistes des CSV structurés était la forme d'autorité la plus défendable.

Interview & commentary topics

Topic areas the Japan Ryokan Guide editorial team can comment on, based on our published data and guides.

• Ryokan culture and etiquette — first-time guest framing, slipper rules, futon-laying timing, multi-night ryokan rhythms
• Onsen policy — tattoo classification framework, accessibility considerations, and how spring-water types are classified in Japan
• Kaiseki dinner traditions — seasonal kitchen language, how a kaiseki menu maps to Kyoto- vs Kanto-style courses, dietary adaptation
• Tourism trends post-COVID — inbound mix shifts, English-readiness staffing changes at mid-range ryokans, regional dispersal away from Kyoto-Tokyo

Recent media mentions

This section will list confirmed media citations as they appear. If you have published a piece referencing Japan Ryokan Guide, please send the URL to press@japanryokanguide.com and we will add it here.

Brand assets

Editorial brand assets for use in articles and broadcast graphics. Photos of specific ryokans are official property images or come from openly licensed libraries; please request individual property photography through press@japanryokanguide.com so the correct attribution can be supplied.

Wordmark (SVG)

Download SVG ↓Use on light backgrounds. Do not recolor or stretch.

Approved usage guidelines

• Cite as "Japan Ryokan Guide" (do not abbreviate to JRG in first reference).
• When quoting a dataset, include the access date and link back to japanryokanguide.com/press.
• Quotes may be attributed to Japan Ryokan Guide; please email a draft of any attributed quote before publication so we can confirm wording.
• Do not use the wordmark inside competing publisher branding or in a way that implies a partnership we have not confirmed in writing.

Get in touch

Working on a deadline? Email press@japanryokanguide.com and we will reply within 24-48 hours during Tokyo business hours. For editorial corrections to existing articles, email editor@japanryokanguide.com.