Press & Media

About the publication

Founded

2024 (publishing since August 2024)

Editorial scope

224 verified ryokan properties across 25 onsen regions of Japan

Languages

English, Japanese, Simplified Chinese, Traditional Chinese, Korean, French

Editor

Sora Matsuda — Founding Editor & Ryokan Correspondent (Tokyo)

Editorial standards

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

Press data resources

We make our structured ryokan datasets available to working journalists on request. Each dataset is delivered as CSV with a column dictionary and verification dates. Free to cite with attribution: "Japan Ryokan Guide, [date accessed]".

Attribution format: "Source: Japan Ryokan Guide, accessed [DD Month YYYY]" — or link directly to japanryokanguide.com/press.

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

   How 86% of Japanese ryokans now welcome tattooed travelers

   A multi-year shift in onsen culture: from a sweeping ban to a five-category policy spectrum. Backed by the Tattoo-Friendly Ryokan Registry covering 224 properties.

2. 02

   Why ryokan prices stabilized in Q2 2026 despite the inbound surge

   The Q2 2026 Ryokan Price Index breaks down median per-person rates across 25 onsen regions. A counter-intuitive read on tourism pricing.

3. 03

   The 5-category tattoo policy framework explained

   allowed / cover_up / private_only / not_allowed / unknown — the taxonomy we use to make 224 ryokans navigable for international travelers. The framework, sourced from MHLW Onsen Act practitioner training, is open for citation.

4. 04

   Sora Matsuda: the MHLW Onsen Bath Manager behind Japan Ryokan Guide

   A profile-friendly story: twelve years inside Japanese hospitality (Hotel New Otani, The Tokyo Station Hotel), JNTO Accredited Tour Guide, J.S.A. Sake Diploma, MHLW Onsen Bath Manager, Sophia University. Available for in-person interview in Tokyo.

5. 05

   Why we publish open-data CSVs for 224 ryokans (and no competitor does)

   A meta-story about open editorial data in the travel-guide space: how a six-locale ryokan publisher decided that giving journalists structured CSVs was the most defensible form of authority.

Expert contributor

Sora Matsuda

Founding Editor & Ryokan Correspondent — Japan Ryokan Guide

Tokyo-based editor with twelve years inside Japanese hospitality, including six years at The Tokyo Station Hotel. Has stayed at 89 ryokans across 19 prefectures since 2017.

• JNTO Accredited Tour Guide (Tokyo Metropolitan registry, since 2019)
• J.S.A. Sake Diploma (Japan Sommelier Association, 2021)
• MHLW Onsen Bath Manager / 温泉入浴指導員 (Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, 2023)
• B.A. Tourism Studies — Sophia University Faculty of Liberal Arts (2008–2012)

Interview & commentary topics

Topic areas Sora is qualified to comment on, scoped to the credentialed surface. For topics outside this list (Hokkaido coverage, Tohoku coverage, solo-female-travel perspectives, accessibility), we connect journalists with named contributors with the relevant lived experience.

• Ryokan culture and etiquette — first-time guest framing, slipper rules, futon-laying timing, multi-night ryokan rhythms
• Onsen policy — tattoo classification framework, accessibility considerations under the MHLW Onsen Act, water-type chemistry under the 11-category Ministry of the Environment classification
• Kaiseki dinner traditions — seasonal kitchen language, how a kaiseki menu maps to Kyoto- vs Kanto-style courses, dietary adaptation
• Sake and ryokan pairing — J.S.A. Sake Diploma framework applied to ryokan dinner menus, regional brewery context
• 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. Photography of specific ryokans is sourced from the property's official website or our OTA partner press kits; 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.
• Sora Matsuda may be quoted directly; please email a draft of any attributed quote before publication so she 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.