ryokan

R1Y4O1K5A1N1

noun

A traditional Japanese inn with communal baths and other public areas.

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Meanings

nounryokan (plural ryokans or ryokan)

plural ryokans

  1. A traditional Japanese inn with communal baths and other public areas.

    Mr. Ducasse is pursuing plans for a new hotel one hour from central Tokyo, a cross between a ryokan, a traditional Japanese inn, and an auberge, a French country inn.

    2008 April 27, “Gift to the Mailroom, From the Boardroom”, in New York Times

Origin

From Japanese 旅館(りょかん) (ryokan), which is from Middle Chinese 旅館 (MC ljoX kwanH, “inn, traveller's lodge”). Compare modern Chinese 旅館／旅馆 (lǚguǎn, “hotel”), from 旅 (lǚ, “travel”) + 館／馆 (guǎn, “lodging-house”).

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Chinese Mandarin 日式旅館 /日式旅馆
  • 日式旅館 /日式旅馆 (Rìshì lǚguǎn)a traditional Japanese hotel
Finnish ryokan
  • ryokana traditional Japanese hotel
French ryokan
  • ryokana traditional Japanese hotel
German Ryokan
  • Ryokana traditional Japanese hotel
Japanese 旅館
  • 旅館 (ryokan)a traditional Japanese hotel
Korean 료칸, 여관
  • 료칸 (ryokan)a traditional Japanese hotel
  • 여관 (yeogwan)a traditional Japanese hotel
  • 려관 (ryeogwan)a traditional Japanese hotel
Russian рёкан
  • рёкан (rjókan)a traditional Japanese hotel

Rhymes & wordplay

Anagrams

karyonNyarko
Cite this entry
APA

ryokan. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/ryokan

MLA

“ryokan.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/ryokan. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “ryokan,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/ryokan.

Source: ryokan on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.