Press & Media

About the publication

Founded

2024 (publishing since August 2024)

Editorial scope

645 published ryokan properties across 37 onsen areas of Japan

Languages

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

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

Our structured ryokan datasets are published as open CSVs under CC-BY 4.0 — download them directly, no request needed. Each file ships with a column dictionary and verification dates in its header rows. Free to reuse with attribution using the citation shown on each dataset.

All three datasets are licensed CC-BY 4.0. Cite as "Japan Ryokan Guide — <dataset name>, 2026, CC-BY 4.0", or link directly to japanryokanguide.com/press. For a custom cut or an interview about the methodology, email 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

   In our 645-inn registry, tattoo policy isn't a simple yes or no — only 8.5% of inns with a verified policy allow tattoos unconditionally

   Not a ban, and not open access — a fragmented access-and-information problem. Of 330 inns with a verified policy, 85.5% offer some route to bathe (most via a cover-up or a reservable private bath), yet only 8.5% allow tattoos unconditionally and 14.5% ban them outright. A further 315 inns have no policy we could verify. Backed by the live Tattoo Policy Registry (645 inns; counts accessed 2026-09-22; last full policy re-verification 2026-07-12).

2. 02

   What a ryokan actually costs in 2026: a $210 median across 612 verified inns

   The Ryokan Price Index breaks down median per-person rates across 35 onsen regions. The Q3 2026 refresh shows the national median at $210 per person as the sample nearly doubled — a composition story, not a market crash.

3. 03

   The 5-category tattoo policy framework explained

   allowed / cover_up / private_only / not_allowed / unknown — our editorial five-category taxonomy for making 645 inns navigable for international travelers (330 with a verified policy, 315 still unknown). 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 645 ryokans

   A meta-story about open editorial data in the travel-guide space: how a seven-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.