Ryokan guides
Themed comparisons built only from the Japanese stay reports behind our ryokan reviews — what the water is really like, where the catches are, and which inns to pick.
Free-flowing or recirculated? How to tell real onsen water before you book
'Hot spring' on a booking page can mean anything from water straight from the source to recirculated, chlorinated tap water in your room. What the Japanese terms mean, and which ryokan in our directory pass the test.
Read the guideUpdated Oct 2, 2026Baths where the spring rises beneath you
Four ryokan where hot-spring water wells up through the floor of the bath itself — no pipes, no tanks — and what Japanese guests say it's really like to bathe in them.
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