Japanese Inns (Ryokan) in Atami (Japan) and the Shaping of Coming "Traditions"

Abstract

This article stems from the assumption that researching Japanese inns (ryokan) located in Atami (45,000 inhabitants, Shizuoka Prefecture) would allow the reader to understand what happens elsewhere among other ryokan in Japanese spas (onsen). After briefly introducing the history of spas in Japan, three different approaches constitute an attempt to explore the development of ryokan in Atami. From its historical origin to its most prosperous economic period between the mid-1960s and the mid-1970s, Atami has taken advantage of its location close to the capital to develop mainly as a recreational place, based on the spas' (onsen) function. Historically, lodging associated with this function came to take the form of Japanese inns (ryokan), characterized today by a great variety of scales and shapes. The several international hotels that have also been developed still represent a minority, as is the case in most of the recreational cities of Japan. The main historical periods of development are emphasized in order to understand the different layers of history to which the present inns belong. From the approximately 68 ryokan still in business compared to the 361 in 1972, three case studies are introduced to describe their diversity. The economic difficulties encountered nowadays by this kind of lodging in Atami and the different solutions sought show a tendency to create new patterns of lodging. In the new economic environment, they may offer opportunities to keep a balance between preserving some historical aspects of ryokan and creating new models for the future.