Ryokan stay is fundamentally different from hotel stay as ryokan provides dinner and breakfast inclusively. Because many guests find tiring having Japanese kaiseki meal for many days in a row, ryokan stay is usually recommended 2 to 3 nights are best. Aside from the meal issue, you might also wonder, “How am I going to spend time at a ryokan for more than 4 days?” Activity options during your ryokan stay are a key point when you decide how many nights staying at a ryokan and other accommodation during your trip in Japan. Despite the preconception idea about “ryokan with Japanese kaiseki meal,” here are our member ryokans that we picked up for you if you would like to do an extended stay at a ryokan. They have other meal options besides Japanese kaiseki offering some tempting activities during your stay.

The Hiramatsu Karuizawa Miyota is one of the ideal ryokans for long-term stay with more than 3 nights. The location of the ryokan is Miyota in Karuizawa, which is a great place for you to get snug.

Their main meal options are French and Italian, but there are other flexible options for those extended-stay guests. For the guests staying in their 9 villas, the guests have special meal options including forest dining, in-room dining, BBQ, and hot pot. There is a small kitchen equipped in Villa including microwave and toaster, so many of their long-term guests can also go grocery shopping nearby and cook in their room. At The Hiramatsu Karuizawa Miyota, you can stay with your dog as well.

The primary focus that The Hiramatsu Karuizawa Miyota provides with guests is wellness. The private natural hot spring bath equipped in every room, healthy meal using local ingredients, spa and yoga, and a variety of nature activities including trekking, horseback trekking, and snowshoe trekking will make both your body and soul just nourished.

Like The Hiramatsu Karuizawa Miyota, Myojinkan in Matsumoto also offers two meal options: Japanese kaiseki and French. The location is actually in the woods so it’s perfect to nestle in for days and refresh your soul. For the long-term guests, they also provide lunch.

Out of the ryokan stay, Myojinkan (Tobira Group Inc.) offer Satoyama Villa stay in Nakayama District of Matsumoto City. During this Satoyama Villa stay, you can harvest their organic vegetables in the garden and cook yourself in the villa. Upon request, you can also ask for a catering service to your villa, and a private catered chef cooks and prepares meal for you. Immersing yourself in Matsumoto’s nature will let you embrace a simplicity of life and give you a clarity mind being away from any distractions.

Ryokan Kurashiki is nestled in the famous Bikan District of Kurashiki. As the location is uniquely historic, you will feel you time traveled into around the 17^th century. For those guests who stay for more than 2 nights, Ryokan Kurashiki offers the guests to dine in other restaurants in the district that the okami of Ryokan Kurashiki exclusively picked up for the guests, called “Kurashiki Local Dining Experience.” Their various choices of local dining including Japanese kaiseki and Italian will give the guests a wide meal option rather than just traditionally having meals in the ryokan.

(Okami of Ryokan Kurashiki, Ms. Ritsuko Nakamura sprinkling water at the entrance)

During your stay at Ryokan Kurashiki, you can request for a private tour around the Bikan District specially guided by the okami of Ryokan Kurashiki. You will definitely feel unique and special when the okami guides you around the ryokan introducing the history of Kurashiki herself.

In addition to the other dining options outside of a ryokan, our member ryokans in Kyoto and Auberge Maki no Oto Kanazawa also offer local dining options near the ryokans. In Kyoto, Higashiyama Shikikaboku, recommends local dining to the guests especially the staff carefully picked up for the guests. This style applies the same to Auberge Maki no Oto Kanazawa. The owner, Mr. Seiichi Yamamoto who is very familiar with Kanazawa and has a special access to nearby partnered restaurants, even the ones do not allow a first-time customer.

You may first hesitate to stay at a ryokan for more than 3 to 4 nights considering meal options and activities, but our luxury member ryokans have a wider option for extended guests as well, evolving from the traditional ryokan stay.