🙏 Etiquette & Places
Ryokan etiquette: slippers, yukata, tatami and dinner
Where shoes come off, how to wear a yukata correctly, and the timing of dinner.
Avoid these
Slippers on tatami
No slippers on tatami — socks or bare feet only. Slippers stay on the wooden floor / hallway.
Missing dinner time
Kaiseki dinner is served at a set time. Be punctual — the staff plan around it.
Ignoring the yukata
The yukata in your room is to wear — around the inn, to dinner, to the bath.
Do exactly this
Shoes off at the genkan
Swap shoes for slippers at the entrance — and slippers off on tatami.
Wear the yukata
Left side over right (right-over-left is for funerals!). Tie the belt and relax.
Greet your host
The nakai-san takes great care of you — say the phrase below.
The phrase locals love
お世話になります
osewa ni narimasu
“Thank you for taking care of me.” Say it to the staff on arrival. It signals respect and gratitude — exactly the ryokan spirit.
📍 when you check in / are shown your room