Ryokan (inn) Ryokan (inn) A is a type of traditional Japanese inn that has existed since the eighth century A.D. during the Keiun period, in which the oldest hotel in the world, Nishiyama Onsen Keiunkan, was created in 705 A.D. Another old ryokan called Hōshi Ryokan was founded in 718 A.D and was also known as the world's second oldest hotel. Such inns also served travelers along Japan's highways. They typically feature "tatami"-matted rooms, communal baths, and other public areas where visitors may wear yukata and talk with the owner. Ryokan are difficult to find in Tokyo and other large cities because
Onsen Onsen An onsen is a Japanese hot spring; the term also extends to cover the bathing facilities and traditional inns frequently situated around a hot spring. As a volcanically active country, Japan has thousands of onsens scattered throughout all of its major islands. Onsens come in many types and shapes, including and indoor baths. Baths may be either publicly run by a municipality or , often as part of a hotel, "ryokan", or . The presence of an onsen is often indicated on signs and maps by the symbol ♨ or the kanji ("yu", meaning "hot water"). Sometimes the simpler