Types of Accommodation in Japan: Hotels, Ryokan, Capsules, Hostels and Rentals

In this guide

• The types at a glance
• How Japan classifies places to stay
• Check-in, passports and luggage
• Business hotels
• City and luxury hotels
• Ryokan
• Minshuku and pensions
• Onsen baths, bath tax and tattoos
• Capsule hotels
• Hostels and guesthouses
• Apartment hotels and vacation rentals
• Temple stays, glamping and other unique stays
• Manga and internet cafes
• Love hotels
• Accommodation taxes by area
• Prices, service charges and cancellations
• Where you will find each type
• Booking tips
• Etiquette at Japanese accommodation
• Staying with children
• Travelers with mobility needs
• Which type suits your trip?
• Frequently asked questions
• Plan the rest of your trip

The types at a glance

Prices vary widely by city, season and day of the week, so compare the same dates across types before deciding. You can search most of them on Agoda.

How Japan classifies places to stay

Understanding the legal categories helps you tell a real hotel from an illegal rental. Under the Inns and Hotels Act, the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare (MHLW) issues three kinds of licence:

• Hotel and ryokan business: separate hotel and ryokan licences were merged in June 2018, so “ryokan” is now a style rather than a legal class. Since then, a room must be at least 7 m², or 9 m² with beds.
• Simple lodging business (簡易宿所): places where guests mainly share sleeping space, such as capsule hotels, youth hostels, ski lodges and mountain huts.
• Boarding business: monthly or longer stays.

A front desk, or equipment that does the same job, is required, which is the legal basis for the tablet check-in machines you will see at many newer hotels. Guest registers must be kept for three years. At the end of March 2025, Japan had 98,338 licensed lodgings: 52,946 hotels and ryokan, 44,901 simple lodgings (the fastest-growing type, up 7.1%) and 491 boarding houses.

A 2023 amendment, in force since December 13, 2023, lets inns refuse guests who keep making abusive demands, such as insisting on unfair discounts, while making clear that requests related to a disability are not “excessive demands”. Vacation rentals sit under a separate law, explained in the rentals section below. Minshuku and pensions are not legal categories of their own: they hold one of the licences above.

Check-in, passports and luggage

Your passport will be copied

Since April 2005, guests with no address in Japan must give their nationality and passport number at check-in, and the inn asks to see the passport and keeps a copy. Kyoto City’s official guest register puts it this way: “The presentation and photocopying of passports is also required by the Government of Japan.” MHLW reminded hotels of the rule again in March 2025. If a guest refuses, staff are told to explain that it is a government instruction and ask again, and, if the guest still refuses, to treat it as a possible case of not carrying a passport and contact the police. The rule does not apply to foreign residents with a Japanese address. Large chains scan passports at the front desk; Toyoko Inn, for example, says non-residents’ passport information “will be scanned by hotel staff at check-in”.

Check-in and check-out times

The national model accommodation terms leave the times blank for each property to fill in, so there is no standard. Examples from official pages:

The model terms suggest late check-out charges of a third of the room rate for up to three hours, half for up to six hours, and the full rate beyond that, but each hotel sets its own rules.

Luggage and late arrival

• Most staffed hotels hold bags before check-in and after check-out; Sotetsu Fresa Inn and Dormy Inn say so in their FAQs. Unstaffed rentals and capsule hotels often cannot keep bags for long; nine hours holds oversized bags only during your stay.
• Bags sent ahead by courier are accepted at many hotels, but Toyoko Inn holds them only “when such a request has been accepted”, so ask first. Our luggage forwarding guide explains how.
• Tell the hotel if you will arrive late. Toyoko Inn may cancel a booking if you do not call after your stated arrival time, and ryokan need you in time for dinner.

Business hotels

Business hotels are the backbone of travel in Japan: compact, spotless rooms with a small private bathroom, usually a short walk from a major station. They were built for Japanese business travelers, but they suit visitors well, especially for short stays and solo trips. Rooms are small; no major chain publishes a brand-standard size in square meters, so check the size and the bed width in centimeters on the room page. A “semi-double” bed is narrower than a double.

Two habits to know. Several chains now clean rooms only every few nights on multi-night stays unless you ask (Toyoko Inn’s “ECO Stay” does a full clean every three days, and Sotetsu Fresa cleans on request, compulsory every fourth night). And some chains still have smoking rooms, so request non-smoking when you book. Toyoko Inn’s Club Card (¥1,500 to join) gives one free night per ten stays when you book on its own site.

City and luxury hotels

International chains and Japanese luxury brands fill the upper end, with larger rooms, multilingual staff, restaurants and concierge services. Some add a service charge on top of the room rate; for example, Hotel Groove Shinjuku lists 15%. There is no official “standard” service charge, so check the booking page. City hotels are worth it for families who need space, for travelers with mobility needs, and for a comfortable last night before a long flight. Our Tokyo hotels guide, Kyoto where-to-stay guide and Osaka where-to-stay guide compare areas and hotels.

Ryokan

A ryokan is a traditional Japanese inn. JNTO describes the experience as tatami rooms, futon bedding, yukata robes, an in-house kaiseki dinner and a Japanese breakfast, with meals served in a dining hall or in your room. Prices are usually per person rather than per room, with meals included; some ryokan offer stays without meals (sudomari).

What to expect

• Arrive in time for dinner. Nagano’s tourism board advises arriving before 18:00 if dinner is included. At KAI Hakone, for example, dinner is at 17:30 or 19:30 and breakfast 7:00–9:00.
• Tell them about diets in advance. Meals cannot usually be changed after arrival; KAI Hakone asks for vegetarian kaiseki to be ordered by 16:00 the day before.
• Futons appear while you eat. Staff lay out bedding during or after dinner and put it away in the morning.
• Bathrooms vary. Some rooms have no private toilet or shower; the shared onsen baths are part of the experience. Private reservable baths (kashikiri) may be free or charged.
• Booking can be old-fashioned. Some small ryokan take bookings only by phone or fax, and some properties accept bookings only from within Japan, so use a booking site or a travel agent if needed.
• Weekends fill fast with Japanese guests, especially in onsen towns.

The Japan Ryokan and Hotel Association had 2,110 member properties as of April 2025, and the Japanese Inn Group, a network of small family-run ryokan used to foreign guests, lists 46 members. In onsen towns, your ryokan may include free entry to the public baths; Nishimuraya Honkan in Kinosaki, for example, gives guests free entry to all of Kinosaki’s public baths during the stay. One or two nights is enough for most travelers; see our best ryokan guide.

Minshuku and pensions

JNTO describes minshuku as family-run, guesthouse-style lodgings in the owner’s home, often in rural areas, similar to a bed and breakfast. Expect tatami rooms and futons, shared bathrooms, home-style meals and a friendly, informal atmosphere; guests often lay out and put away their own bedding. Pensions are the Western-style equivalent, somewhere between a minshuku and a hotel, and are common near ski areas and in the mountains. Both are excellent value in the countryside and a good way to meet local people, though English may be limited; a translation app helps.

Some minshuku list on the big booking sites, while others are easiest to book through the local tourism association or by phone, which a hotel or tourist office can help with. Expect fixed meal times, often an early dinner, and a front door that may be locked late in the evening; ask about the house rules when you arrive. Carry cash, since JNTO notes that small guesthouses may only accept cash, and bring your own toiletries in case they are not provided. On islands and in mountain villages, a minshuku may be the only place to stay, so book well ahead in summer.

Onsen baths, bath tax and tattoos

Many ryokan, and some business hotels, have large shared baths. JNTO’s basic rules: bathe nude, wash before you get in, keep your small towel out of the water, leave your phone outside (photography is “absolutely forbidden”), and use the changing room for your gender. Our onsen etiquette guide covers the rest.

• Bath tax (入湯税): a municipal tax on bathing at hot-spring facilities, with a standard rate of ¥150 per person per day; each municipality sets its own. It appears as a separate line on bills in hot-spring areas.
• Tattoos: in 2016 the Japan Tourism Agency told hotel, ryokan and onsen associations that refusing bathing “solely because of tattoos is not appropriate”, suggesting cover stickers, quiet time slots or private baths, but each facility makes its own decision. JNTO notes some onsen still refuse tattoos “but this is beginning to change”. From April 1, 2026, Hoshino Resorts says it welcomes guests with tattoos, with limits at some public baths. Super Hotel and some temple onsen still refuse tattoos. If you have tattoos, choose a room with its own bath or book a private bath.

Capsule hotels

A capsule hotel rents you a bed-sized pod in a shared space, with lockers, bathrooms and lounges in common areas. Legally they are simple lodgings. They are a fun, cheap option for a night or two, less so for a long stay with luggage.

• nine hours: check-in 15:00–5:00, check-out 11:00 with no extensions; pods close from 11:00 to 15:00 for cleaning even on consecutive nights; oversized bags held at the front during the stay only; no food in pods; ages 6 and up; one person per pod; same-day cancellations charged in full. Woman Kanda and Woman Shinjuku are women-only, and other sites have women-only areas except men-only sites.
• First Cabin: 14 sites in Japan (five in Tokyo, three in Osaka, and Kyoto Nijojo, Matsue, Hakata, Nagasaki and Naha Airport), styled like airline cabins. Cabins close with a curtain rather than a lock, each with a lockable box; separate men’s and women’s areas and a large shared bath; children 12 and under not accepted.
• Anshin Oyado: six sites, three of them men-only in Tokyo and two women-only (Shinjuku Ogikubo and Ginza Shiodome), with saunas and a long stay window (check-in from 12:00, check-out by 15:00 the next day).
• Newer “smart pods”: brands such as The Millennials, now Lively Hotels, offer larger pods; its Kyoto SmartPod is about 3 m² with a 120 cm bed.

Tips: travel light or leave your suitcase at a station locker, bring earplugs, and check the women-only arrangements before booking. Our capsule hotel guide has more.

Hostels and guesthouses

• Japan Youth Hostels (JYH) lists 106 hostels. Membership costs ¥2,500 for adults (¥2,000 to renew); members get ¥600 off per night, and non-members pay ¥600 more and collect a stamp each night, with five stamps giving the member rate. A Hostelling International card issued abroad is valid until it expires. Dorms are usually bunk beds separated by sex, many hostels also have private and family rooms, sheets are included, and each hostel sets its own curfew. JYH’s standard cancellation charges run from 20% three to two days before to 100% after 17:00 on the day. Some hostels closed in 2026, so check that yours is open.
• K’s House runs 13 hostels, including Kyoto, Tokyo, Hiroshima, Mount Fuji, Hakone, Takayama, Kanazawa and Nikko, with no curfew and guest kitchens.
• Design hostels such as Backpackers’ Japan (toco., Nui., Len) and UNPLAN mix dorms, private rooms and cafe-bars.

JNTO notes that dorms usually have four to six beds, with shared kitchens and bathrooms, and that some hostels have curfews. Guesthouses are similar but smaller, sometimes in old houses.

Apartment hotels and vacation rentals

Apartment hotels are licensed hotels with apartment-style rooms. MIMARU, for example, runs 29 hotels in Tokyo, Kyoto and Osaka, each room with a kitchen and dining table for four to ten guests, including two new Osaka properties opened in September and October 2026. They are a good choice for families and groups, with hotel-style front desks and legal certainty.

Vacation rentals (minpaku) are regulated by the Private Lodging Business Act, in force since June 2018:

• A notified home may host guests for up to 180 days a year, and local ordinances can cut that further. If the host does not live there, a registered management company must run it.
• As of September 15, 2026, 43,037 homes were notified, with 4,740 registered management companies and 66 registered booking intermediaries.
• According to the Japan Tourism Agency, there are only three legal routes for paid lodging: an Inns and Hotels Act licence, a minpaku notification, or special-zone certification (as in Ota City in Tokyo and in Osaka). Anything else is illegal.
• In January 2026, MHLW told local governments to enforce strictly against unlicensed rentals. Since April 2019, a government database of legal properties has been matched against booking-site listings.
• Notified homes hosted 557,439 guest nights in June and July 2026, about 15 per home.

How to check a rental is legal

• Look for the notification or licence number and the address on the booking page; minpaku numbers are written “第M…号”.
• Legal minpaku display a sign with the number at the entrance.
• Book only through registered intermediaries or travel agents.

The Japan Tourism Agency warns that illegal rentals can mean poor hygiene, no one to help in an emergency, missing fire alarms or escape routes, poor key control and complaints from neighbors.

Temple stays, glamping and other unique stays

• Temple stays (shukubo): a night in a working temple, with vegetarian meals and the morning service. On Koyasan, prices start from about ¥16,500–¥20,000 per person with two meals. See our Koyasan and temple stay guide.
• Machiya: restored wooden townhouses, especially in Kyoto, rented as a whole house. Our Kyoto guide covers the rules.
• Glamping: HOSHINOYA Fuji at Lake Kawaguchiko calls itself Japan’s first glamping resort, with 40 cabins.
• Onsen town stays: towns such as Kinosaki, Kusatsu and Dogo are built around public baths, and a ryokan night there is the classic onsen experience.

Manga and internet cafes

Manga and internet cafes rent private booths by the hour, and some travelers use them as a last-resort overnight stop. In Tokyo, an ordinance in force since 2010 requires users to show ID; shops record your details and keep them for three years, and passports are accepted, with nationality and passport number recorded if you have no Japanese address. The Kaikatsu CLUB chain is members-only (membership is free, registered with ID at an in-store kiosk), refuses under-16s from 20:00 to 7:00 and under-18s from 22:00 to 7:00, and sets night-pack prices shop by shop. Booths are not hotel rooms, so treat them as an emergency option, not a plan.

Love hotels

Love hotels are short-stay hotels designed for couples, with hourly “rest” rates as well as overnight stays. Under the Adult Entertainment Business Act they must notify the prefectural Public Safety Commission and display that under-18s may not enter. Some travelers use them as a quirky overnight option, but expect limited English, and note that they are not set up for families or groups.

Accommodation taxes by area

Local accommodation taxes are charged per person per night and are spreading quickly. Some are included in the price you see, others are collected at check-in. Examples from official pages, as of October 2026:

The base is usually the room-only charge, excluding meals. Japan’s national departure tax, ¥3,000 since July 2026, is separate and is usually collected with your air ticket.

Prices, service charges and cancellations

• Tax-inclusive prices: prices shown to consumers in Japan must include the 10% consumption tax, online too. Local accommodation tax, bath tax and any service charge may be extra.
• Service charges: the model terms allow a service charge set by each hotel; luxury hotels and ryokan are most likely to add one.
• Cancellation: there is no national standard rate; each property fills in its own table, and fees apply only if you were told in advance. Toyoko Inn, for example, lets official-site bookings cancel free until 12:00 on the check-in day.
• Children: the model terms suggest 70% of the adult rate for elementary-age children with adult meals and bedding, 50% with children’s meals and bedding, and 30% for bedding only. Many business hotel chains let young children share a bed for free.
• Payment: cards are widely accepted in cities, but small minshuku, guesthouses and rural inns may be cash only. JNTO notes that small stores and guest houses may only accept cash.

Where you will find each type

• Business hotels are everywhere, clustered around major stations in every city and many smaller towns.
• Ryokan concentrate in onsen towns such as Hakone, Kinosaki, Kusatsu and Dogo, in Kyoto, and in rural areas.
• Minshuku and pensions are mostly rural: islands, mountain villages and ski areas.
• Capsule hotels are mainly a big-city option; First Cabin’s 14 sites, for example, are in Tokyo, Osaka, Kyoto and a few other cities and airports.
• Hostels follow the tourist trail: Tokyo, Kyoto, Osaka, Hiroshima, Hakone, Takayama, Kanazawa and Nikko all have well-known ones.
• Temple stays are found on Koyasan, at Zenkoji in Nagano, in Kyoto and along the Shikoku pilgrimage.

Booking tips

• Book early for peak seasons. Cherry blossom season, autumn leaves, Golden Week, Obon and New Year fill hotels months ahead, especially in Kyoto.
• Compare like with like. Ryokan prices are usually per person with two meals, while hotel prices are usually per room without meals. Divide and compare before deciding which is “expensive”.
• Read the room details. Check the size in square meters, the bed width in centimeters, whether the room is non-smoking, and whether the bathroom is private or shared.
• Check what is added at the hotel. Local accommodation tax, bath tax and a service charge may be added to the price you booked.
• Read the cancellation terms. There is no national standard; non-refundable rates are common on booking sites.
• Give your arrival time. Especially at ryokan and small inns, where dinner and check-in are scheduled.
• Use the hotel for help. Front desks at staffed hotels can call restaurants, arrange taxis and send luggage ahead to your next stop.

Etiquette at Japanese accommodation

• Shoes off at the entrance of ryokan, minshuku, temples and many guesthouses; use the slippers provided, and take them off before stepping onto tatami.
• Toilet slippers stay in the toilet room.
• Yukata are worn left side over right; right over left is how the dead are dressed. In a ryokan you can wear yukata to dinner and the baths; check before wearing them outside the building, and at temples change into ordinary clothes for the halls.
• Keep your voice down in corridors and shared rooms, especially in hostels, capsules and older inns with thin walls.
• Bath manners: wash before you soak, keep towels out of the water, and never take photos in a bath area.
• Rubbish: separate it as the room instructions show; apartment rentals in particular have strict local sorting rules.
• No tipping. Staff do not expect it, and a thank-you is enough.

Staying with children

Business hotel chains are often surprisingly family-friendly on price. Toyoko Inn, Richmond and Comfort Hotel let young children (elementary age or younger at Toyoko Inn and Richmond, up to sixth grade at Comfort Hotel) share an adult’s bed free, one child per bed; Dormy Inn charges nothing for children aged 0–2 and ¥3,000 for ages 3 to elementary school when sharing a bed. For space, apartment hotels such as MIMARU, with rooms for four to ten guests and a kitchen, are the easiest option. Capsule hotels are not for families: nine hours accepts only ages 6 and up with one person per pod, and First Cabin does not accept children aged 12 and under. At ryokan, ask about children’s meals; the model terms suggest reduced child rates.

Travelers with mobility needs

Business and city hotels are usually the easiest choice, with elevators and Western beds; ask for an accessible room when you book. Traditional rooms can be harder: futons are laid on the floor, entrances may have steps, and shared baths involve stairs or steps into the tub. Some ryokan and temple lodgings offer rooms with beds and a private bathroom. The 2023 amendment to the Inns and Hotels Act makes clear that requests related to a disability are not “excessive demands”, so it is reasonable to ask a property what it can arrange.

Which type suits your trip?

Frequently asked questions

Why does my hotel in Japan need my passport? It is a government rule: hotels must record the nationality and passport number of guests without an address in Japan, see the passport and keep a copy. Foreign residents with a Japanese address are exempt.

What time is check-in in Japan? It depends on the property; there is no national standard. Many business hotels start at 15:00 and some ryokan at 14:30, with check-out from 10:00 to 12:00.

What is the difference between a ryokan and a hotel? A ryokan is a traditional inn with tatami rooms, futons and usually dinner and breakfast included, often with shared baths. Legally, both now hold the same type of licence.

Are capsule hotels safe? Yes, generally; they have lockers for valuables and often separate men’s and women’s areas or women-only floors. Pods close with a curtain or panel rather than a lock.

Is Airbnb legal in Japan? Vacation rentals are legal if they are notified under the minpaku law (or licensed as a hotel). As of September 2026, 43,037 homes were notified. Check that the listing shows a notification or licence number.

Can I stay at a ryokan with tattoos? Often, if you use a private bath. Policies on shared baths vary: the government has said refusing solely because of tattoos is not appropriate, and Hoshino Resorts welcomes tattoos since April 2026, but some facilities still refuse.

What is the accommodation tax in Kyoto? Since March 1, 2026, ¥200 to ¥10,000 per person per night, depending on the room-only charge; most rooms under ¥20,000 pay ¥200 or ¥400.

Do Japanese hotels charge a service fee? Some do, especially luxury hotels and ryokan; each sets its own rate. Business hotels usually do not. There is no tipping.

What is a semi-double bed? A bed narrower than a double, common in Japanese business hotels. There is no official width, so check the bed size in centimeters on the room page if two people will share it.

Do hotels in Japan still have smoking rooms? Some chains do, including Toyoko Inn and Sotetsu Fresa Inn, so request a non-smoking room when you book.

Can I sleep in a manga cafe? Some travelers do, but booths are not hotel rooms. In Tokyo you must show ID, and some chains are members-only. Treat it as an emergency option.

Where should I stay on my first trip? A business hotel near a major station in each city, plus one night in a ryokan or temple, is a good balance of convenience and experience.

Plan the rest of your trip

• Best hotels in Tokyo
• Where to stay in Kyoto
• Where to stay in Osaka
• Best ryokan in Japan
• Capsule hotel guide
• Koyasan and temple stays
• Onsen etiquette

Sources: Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare (Inns and Hotels Act overview, notices of 2005, 2014, 2018 and March 2025, 2023 amendment, FY2024 facility statistics, January 2026 minpaku material); Japan Tourism Agency (minpaku portal as of September 15, 2026, guidance on illegal rentals, Model Accommodation Terms, 2016 tattoo notice); Kyoto City (guest register, accommodation tax, March 2026); Hokkaido Prefecture; Fukuoka Prefecture; Kanazawa City; Sendai City; Hiroshima Prefecture; Nagano Prefecture; Kumamoto City; Okinawa Prefecture; Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications (bath tax, tax consents); Ministry of Finance (tax-inclusive pricing); JNTO (ryokan, guesthouse, onsen and cashless pages); Nagano tourism; Toyoko Inn, Super Hotel, Dormy Inn, Sotetsu Fresa Inn, Richmond Hotels, Comfort Hotel, Hoshino Resorts (KAI, HOSHINOYA Fuji), Nishimuraya Honkan, nine hours, First Cabin, Anshin Oyado, Lively Hotels, Japan Youth Hostels, K’s House, MIMARU and Kaikatsu CLUB official pages (some read from archived copies during site maintenance); Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department (internet cafe ordinance); prefectural pages on the Adult Entertainment Business Act (checked October 2026). Rules and taxes change; please check before you book and let us know if you spot something out of date.

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About the Author

Jack

I'm Jack, the writer behind Japan Real Guide. I'm from Ehime Prefecture on Shikoku and live in Osaka. Work takes me around Japan regularly, and I go home to Ehime often, so the guides here come from living in the country, not visiting it. Prices, ticket rules and opening hours are checked against official sources, and every guide shows when it was last updated.