Special Feature on COVID-19: Is It Safe to Stay at a Japanese Onsen Ryokan? Useful Tips on How to Enjoy Onsen Ryokan Safely During the Coronavirus Outbreak and In the Post COVID-19 New Normal Era

Photo: Fugaku Gunjo

Special Feature on COVID-19: Is It Safe to Stay at a Japanese Onsen Ryokan? Useful Tips on How to Enjoy Onsen Ryokan Safely During the Coronavirus Outbreak and In the Post COVID-19 New Normal Era

Let’s refresh yourself at Japanese hot springs after physically drained and mentally strained by the stress and pressure under the pandemic.

People across the globe have been unable to travel overseas due to the prolonged COVID-19 (coronavirus disease 2019) pandemic, but you may be considering a trip to Japan and relieving your tired body and mind in an onsen ryokan when the situation is improved.
However, many onsen fans may be worried by the risk of infection with COVID-19 and nervous about how to choose a safe ryokan in Japan.

So our professionals at Selected Onsen Ryokan have analysed and concluded three conditions for staying safely at an onsen ryokan in the new era, and picked out tens of safe ryokans that meet all the three essential requirements where you can enjoy onsen relaxedly with your partner and family in the post COVID-19 days. We wish that this article and the lists of ryokans would serve as a useful reference for you.

As an additional remark, here in Japan, avoiding the “Three Cs” – Confined spaces, Crowded places and Close-contact settings – is considered a key to prevent the spread of COVID-19. Japanese ryokans are taking countermeasures against the coronavirus under the “Three Cs” principle, from the installation of acrylic boards and rubbing alcohol at the front desk, disinfection and sterilisation inside the buildings, improved ventilation, thorough control of employees’ health, compulsory use of face masks by the ryokan staff, to the measurement of guests’ body temperatures, and requiring guests to wear masks and practise appropriate sterile procedures. Please refer to the descriptions (basically in Japanese) on the official website of each ryokan for details.

*About the “Three Cs”:
Proactively advocated in Japan, the Three Cs refer to three types of situation, listed below, that should be avoided in order to prevent COVID-19 infection.

1. Confined and enclosed spaces with poor ventilation
2. Crowded places with many people nearby
3. Close-contact settings where people have close-range conversations or make voices

It is considered that avoidance of the Three Cs contributes to effective prevention of the spread of COVID-19. The reasonability of this principle was recognised by the World Health Organisation (WHO), which officially called for avoiding the Three Cs in July 2020.

Three conditions for a safe ryokan stay in the post COVID-19 new normal era

1. All guest rooms have private open-air or indoor onsen baths

With a private onsen bath in your room, you don’t have to go to the large public bath and share the onsen with other people. Basically, onsen baths inside guest rooms are cleaned, and the water is completely replaced with fresh hot spring water, after the checkout of each group of guests.

2. All meals are provided in guest rooms or independent dining rooms

Authentic Japanese cuisine is an appealing characteristic of onsen ryokans, so it is important to maintain a safe place for eating. We have sorted out ryokans which offer all meals in your own room or in a private dining space. You can avoid having contact with other guests during dining and enjoy delicious food in a safe setting.

3. Small ryokans with 30 rooms or fewer

Including onsen ryokans where all guest rooms are detached and independent houses, small-scale ryokans with 30 rooms or fewer only accommodate a small number of guests. You can avoid the “Three Cs” during checkin and checkout, and while using facilities in the buildings.

Lists of safe onsen ryokans

Here is the lists of onsen ryokans throughout Japan that meet all the three conditions for a safe stay in the post COVID-19 new normal era.
We have grouped the ryokans by region.

Hokkaido

 

In the Hokkaido region, there are 5 safe ryokans distributed over Sapporo (Lake Shikotsu, Otaru, Jozankei) Onsen, Niseko Onsen, and Lake Akan Onsen.

List of safe onsen ryokans in Hokkaido

Tohoku region

 

In the Tohoku region, there are 6 safe ryokans distributed over Kakunodate & Lake Tazawa Onsen, Aizuwakamatsu Onsen, Koriyama Onsen, and Fukushima Onsen.

List of safe onsen ryokans in the Tohoku region

Tokyo suburbs

 

In the Tokyo suburbs, there are 27 safe ryokans distributed over Mt. Fuji Lake Kawaguchiko Onsen, Hakone Onsen, Atami Onsen, Ito Onsen, East Izu Onsen, South Izu Onsen, Shuzenji Onsen, Izu Toi Onsen, Lake Suwa & Tateshina Onsen, Bessho & Togura Kamiyamada Onsen, Minakami-Tanigawa Onsen, and Ikaho Onsen.

List of safe onsen ryokans in the Tokyo suburbs

Nagoya Chubu & Hokuriku region

 

In the Nagoya Chubu & Hokuriku region, there are 2 safe ryokans in the Gero Onsen and Okuhida Onsen.

List of safe onsen ryokans
in the Nagoya Chubu & Hokuriku region

Osaka Kyoto Kansai region

 

In the Osaka Kyoto Kansai region, there are 3 safe ryokans in the Osaka Onsen, Kyoto Tango Peninsula (Yuhigaura) Onsen and Nanki Shirahama Onsen.

List of safe onsen ryokans
in the Osaka Kyoto Kansai region

Hiroshima Chugoku region

 

In the Hiroshima Chugoku region, there is 1 safe ryokan in the Miyajima Onsen.

Safe onsen ryokan
in the Hiroshima Chugoku region

Shikoku region

 

In the Shikoku region, there is 1 safe ryokan in the Dogo Onsen.

Safe onsen ryokan in the Shikoku region

Kyushu & Okinawa region

 

In the Kyushu & Okinawa region, there are 23 safe ryokans distributed over Yufuin Onsen, Beppu Onsen, Aso & Kurokawa Onsen, Unzen Onsen, Nichinan Onsen, and Kirishima Onsen.

List of safe onsen ryokans
in the Kyushu & Okinawa region

Full list of safe onsen ryokans

Disclaimer: The content of this feature article is the results of careful researches done by our ryokan professionals, who made judgements based on the information revealed by the onsen ryokans as of July 2020. We have been striving to secure the accuracy of each information with the greatest caution, but we could not absolutely guarantee that all information is the latest and that it does not contain any inaccurate descriptions, depending on the time of your access to this website and the strictness of information disclosed by each ryokan. Furthermore, the criteria of a safe ryokan and the final selection are based on the standards considered appropriate by our team at Selected Onsen Ryokan. Please take full responsibility for your decisions. Browsing of this webpage represents your acknowledgement of this disclaimer.