Ryokan feast or just stay the night?

When I was a kid growing up in Canada asked about my favourite home-cooked meals, I told people it was my mother’s 酢の物 sunomono. My mom, who’s not ethnically Japanese, had learned it from a 懐石料理 kaisekiryori night school course. She adapted it with the guidance of the Japanese teacher, dressing wafer-thin slices of cucumber with a light and tangy dressing, flakes of salmon, and a sprinkling of sesame seeds. It hit the spot with tangy and umami flavours, crunchy and smooth textures. In the 1980s, sushi had yet to take off, and ramen shops were unheard of in my country.

Ryokan traditional food ways may be a surprise for visitors

Flash forward to 2025, and my hometown of Vancouver has a huge Japanese cuisine scene with izakaya, gyoza and ramen shops, and sushi bars. Japanese eateries now outnumber the city’s Chinese restaurants. Michelin mentions a dozen of the best.

But what do we eat at home or when we’re feeling fancy in Japan? Sora News reported in late April that foreign visitors’ anticipation of Japanese food is colliding with ryokan meals. I’ve enjoyed traditional ryokan meals dozens of times, sometimes seafood-oriented and even vegetarian, at temple stays on Mt. Koya. Often, the meals feature local ingredients and dishes. The ryokan dining experience is an education in Japanese food culture.

The only thing that makes me hesitate sometimes before I book a ryokan meal is the volume. At an Aizu Wakamatsu traditional cuisine inn, I couldn’t finish the meal, and it pained me. I didn't need to ask for a doggie bag because the chefs packed my leftovers for a bento lunch on the way home. That’s one of the best omotenashi ryokan experiences.

However, inbound visitors leave a lot of food on the table because their experiences of "Japanese food" back home doesn’t match what they receive at ryokan. Kyoto ryokans are scaling back their kitchens in response since their businesses increasingly depend on guests from abroad.

Do you like ryokan dining? What appeals to you or turns you off?