Ryokan with a Private Onsen, Immersing Myself in Traditional Japanese Hospitality!

I recently went on a 10 day trip to Fukuoka, Japan with my family. Initially, bathing in a private onsen, let alone having an authentic Japanese Ryokan experience hadn’t even crossed our minds, that is until my father insisted that we should try staying at one.

For those of you who don’t know, Ryokans are traditional Japanese inns where beds do not exist, showers are publicly shared, and hospitality is through the roof.

We went during mid April, and for my fellow Thai friends out there, you would know this to be the hottest season in Thailand and so a lot of people would be travelling abroad especially to colder places like Japan.

So we hurriedly researched for any available Roykans to stay at which brought us to Ryokan Yuri in the quaint little town of Yufuin.

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The Quant Little Town of Yufuin

main street in the town of yufuin — *Yufuin is truly a hidden gem in Japan, a town known for scenic mountains and rejuvenating hot springs*

We hit the jackpot? Why? Because Yufuin is the hot spring epicenter of Japan, who would’ve thought. I certainly didn’t, I’ve never even heard of this place prior to this trip!

Yufuin is a picturesque town nestled between the mountains of Oita Prefecture in Japan. The town is most known for it’s charming and relaxing atmosphere and most importantly it’s rejuvenating and therapeutic hot springs and onsen culture.

The town feels like something you would find if you stepped into the world of a Studio Ghibli film, which is fitting because there IS a Ghibli merchandise store in the town’s shopping street.

I’ve actually written a really detailed travel guide that is available for free as a blog post here:

In the article is all the information you’ll need to kickstart your travels to the awesome hidden town of Yufuin, information such as:

How to travel to Yufuin (Yufuin no Mori sightseeing Train, JR trains and required rail passes)
5 of the best Ryokan accommodations you can find in Yufuin
My exploration through Yufuin and it’s shops and restaurants
Must see attractions and landmarks
Must eat foods and desserts
All the rules and etiquette relating to dipping your toes in an Onsen
An pre-made example Itinerary

Ryokan Yuri

front entrance of ryokan yufuin building — *The building looks so inconspicuous, the sign probably says “Ryokan Yuri” but I can’t read Japanese*

As I’ve mentioned, the Ryokan that I ended up choosing is Ryokan Yuri.

The Ryokan building was very ambiguous, it looked like a regular apartment building and it didn’t help that the building next to Ryokan Yuri looked more like what you would expect a traditional Japanese inn to look like.

After a bit of back and forth my parents and I finally found the location even though it was right in front of us.

Before we go further I should mention that I am NOT sponsored in any way shape or form by the owners of Ryokan Yuri, the reason I am talking about this hotel today is to detail to you the experience of sleeping at traditional Japanese inn and also because I was genuinely very impressed with the hospitality and I feel like the owners should be recognized for their hard work in running this hotel.

The Friendliest Owners Imaginable

ryokan yufuin lobby reception — *The reception is small but it’s very cozy and gives off a home-y feeling*

When we entered the building we were met by the most friendly and welcoming Japanese man. The man humbly told us that his English skills were lackluster (which was utter rubbish as his English was incredible), despite this he was very welcoming and spoke to us like we were long lost friends.

I quickly learnt that Ryokan Yuri is operated by his family, him and his wife managed the business and reception, while his grandmother acts as a housekeeper.

After we showed our online booking documents he took us to book a timeslot for the private hot spring onsen baths, which I will tell you about later.

Guys, I seriously cannot stress enough how hospitable he was, Japan is full of friendly people but this man and his family could quite possibly be the most friendly and kind bunch I have ever met in Japan.

Our Room - Sumire

traditional japanese inn ryokan room — *I don’t know what can be more Japanese than this, I am culturally immersed*

After we got everything sorted we were led to our rooms which was lovingly named “Sumire” which means violet.

The room was split into 2 sections, the entrance and the main room.

The entrance is a small and frankly cramp room where you store your shoes and umbrellas, you can also find a sink and a toilet here.

The main room is where all the fun is. In here you’ll find your typical closet, tv, table, seating area, and beds. You might notice from the pictures that the beds are flat and on the floor, yes these are called shikibuton, traditional Japanese futon mattresses that are laid on the floor.

Don’t be nervous about sleeping on the hard floor because I can tell you that the sleeping experience on these are actually surprisingly comfortable, I am not lying to you.

ryokan room with chabudai zabuton tatami mats shoji — *Our room had a nice view overlooking a small canal*

Another classic Japanese furniture you might’ve noticed is the chabudai (the short table) and the zabuton (the floor cushions)

The whole floor is covered in tatami mats and the sliding paper doors are called shoji, this whole aesthetic is very traditionally Japanese and I absolutely love it.

Quick Interlude - Traditional Japanese Candy

Japanese sugar syrup candy — *Anybody know what this snack is called? I’ve seen it on TikTok once but that was a loooong time ago*

A quick little interlude, this has nothing to do with Ryokan living but I just wanted to share this quirky Japanese snack that I found.

I don’t know what this is called but its basically a very thick sugary syrup, like way thicker than honey. there are many different flavors but the one I bought is either a soda or blueberry flavor I do not know.

They give you chopsticks to eat this with and the way you’d eat this is by grabbing some with the chopstick and twirling the syrup to incorporate some air and create this air-y foamy texture. It was absolutely bizarre but very fun and interesting to try.

It was really sweet though cause it’s basically just pure sugar.

If you know what this is please tell me in the comment section below, I’d love to know

What about the Onsen?

I’ve mentioned earlier that there are private onsens available for booking. Actually the onsens at Ryokan Yuri comes in 2 varieties: Public and Private.

Public Onsen

Public onsens are available 24/7 for you to simple just walk into. They are gender segregated, so there is no worries about feeling embarrassed.

Booking a Private Onsen

The private onsens are a little different, they are not separated by gender and they are only available during certain time slots. This is why you must book a time slot before you head into one, each person is allocated 50 minutes per booking but you are allowed to book for as many time slots as you want as long as the time slots are free.

The private onsens come in 3 sizes, small, medium, large. The owner doesn’t limit you either, if you are traveling solo and want to get into a large bath then go ahead.

The Private Onsen Experience

sitting and waiting area for private onsen room — *Don’t spend too long in this room, you only have 50 minutes to enjoy the onsen before your time is up!*

I choose the medium sized bath myself, I would’ve gone for the largest one but I would rather leave that open for any potential families who want to bathe together.

A nice old lady will lead you to your private onsen room and will give you a brief rundown of all the amenities, and then you’re left on your own.

Let me explain to you how this works:

In the entrance room, there are some towels and baskets for you, the towels are there to dry yourself after a shower, and the basket is there for you to store your clothes.

showers inside private onsen — *Where else could you sit down while showering? This is luxury!*

You’ll notice that there is not shower available in your room… So how would you clean yourself? In the onsen of course, each room is equipped with a shower, shampoo, soap, and conditioner. These are also available in the public onsen rooms if you are wondering.

You’ll need to wash yourself before and after you enter the hot spring to clean your body. After that is all sorted it’s time to dip your toes into the onsen.

There is actually quite a few rules and etiquette you should know before bathing in an onsen, I’ve explained them quite extensively in my blogpost about Yufuin, right at the bottom of the article. Feel free to skip the beginning of the article and read the onsen part straight away.

onsen hot spring bath — *It’s open air, don’t worry no one will see you*

Now here is the part where you’ll expect me to say that this is the most relaxing experience in my life, but honestly I feel pretty uncomfortable for the majority of the time, but that was totally my fault.

At first everything was relaxing and bathing in the mineral rich water made me feel like all my problems had just evaporated into thin air. But I moved around a lot in the water, trying to take pictures, video calling with my partner, inspecting the pool etc… All of this moving around made me sweat a lot and I just got really uncomfortable after a while.

So if you’re bathing in the hot spring bath, don’t move around a lot.

Authentic Ryokan Kaiseki Breakfast

If you are staying at a Ryokan you CANNOT miss out on the dinner/breakfast, it is one of the highlights of the traditional Japanese hospitality experience.

The traditional setup is called a Kaiseki which is a meal consisting of several individual smaller dishes or courses, this is a way to showcase the best cuisine available during the season.

The food was quite tasty, some might say it is a little bland but that is the nature of Japanese food, the cuisine focuses on the natural flavors of the ingredients rather than covering it with tons of spices and seasonings.

Details about Ryokan Yuri

Ryokan Yuri was a spur of the moment decision and it turned out to be a really pleasant surprise. Although the building doesn’t look like what you’d might expect a traditional Ryokan or Japanese inn to look like, the services, rooms, amenities, and most importantly, the hospitality are all on point.

The rooms are cheaper compared to the other options in Yufuin as well, and while the price is on the lower side, there are absolutely no compromises when it comes to your enjoyment.

Google Maps Rating: 4.6 / 5

Location: 2968-10 Yufuincho Kawakami, Yufu, Oita 879-5102, Japan

Phone: +81 97 784 3128

Pros:

Just a short walk from the train station and close to the walking and shopping street
Clean and cozy rooms with good heating and air conditioning
The friendliest staff anywhere, the owners make you feel like you are part of their family.
Delicious and healthy traditional Japanese style breakfast
Public and private onsens available for you to book as much as you want

Cons:

None that I can think of, perhaps the Ryokan feels more modern and less traditional than you would hope, but that is just a nitpick

Book a Room at Ryokan Yuri Here

How to get to Ryokan Yuri

To get to Ryokan Yuri, you must first go to Yufuin, and to travel to Yufuin it is most comfortable to travel by train.

It is highly recommended you purchase a JR train pass if you are intending to travel long distances such as from Fukuoka to Yufuin or Fukuoka to Osaka. A JR pass will save you a LOT of money and can be used for all JR trains including the Shinkansen bullet train as well as other services like JR busses or JR ferries.

There are dozens of rail passes to choose from and they can be very confusing to differentiate, but if you are planning to travel the Kyushu area, then the JR Kyushu Rail Pass covers the entire railway system on Kyushu Island.

Also look up the Yufuin No Mori sightseeing train!

All of this information can be found at my Ultimate Yufuin Travel Guide.

Looking for Things to Do in Yufuin?

Private Day Trip - Beppu Onsen and Yufuin Spa Town One Day Private Trip from Fukuoka
Rickshaw Experience in Yufuin - Enjoy the scenic views while riding a traditional rickshaw
ARU RESSHA by JR Kyushu - Luxury dining train from Hakata to Yufuin and vice versa
Discounted Tickets - Browse a variety of attractions, tours, and transports all for a great price

Useful Resources for Traveling in Japan

Tourism Information - All the information you need when traveling in Japan
Pocket Wi-Fi - Important for staying connected on the go
JR Rail Pass (Whole of Japan) - Easy , cheap, and unlimited access to JR transports