Ryokan meals

This is probably a really stupid question. But i am going to ask it anyways.

So I've heard that Ryokan dishes uses seasonal local ingredients.

I also watched a number of TV travel programmes. The hosts will travel from hotel to location day after day.

My question is:
If i stay consecutively in a ryokan for two nights or more, are the meals the same day after day? For buffet breakfast and dinner are they the same spread? For sets (e.g. kaiseki) are they the same local specialties?

They normally provide different dishes Day 1 to Day 2 while you stay there consecutively(eg, fish for Day 1 and beef for Day 2 ). You can also ask they that you want the same dish Day 1 and Day 2,(recommended by the next morning) you can do so. You can also ask them not to provide certain meals due to your religious reasons or food allergies.
These services are rely on the Ryokan case by case basis, so you better to ask them first.

Just as Tokyo Friend stated, ryokans and even some minshiku's always change most dishes if you stay for consecutive nights.

I've stayed in countless ryokans and have never really had anything which was a repeat apart from....

Breakfast: Rice, Miso Soup, fried egg or the sweetened Japanese egg (you'll know what I mean when you taste it)

Dinner: Rice, Miso Soup, possibly one of the pickles.

I have heard of some chalet's for ski season that offer really cheap dinners which is basically a hot pot. I've heard it's the same hot pot every night but this is rare.

It really depends on the ryokan (or minshuku or hotel). Also, it's not that every dish is different. There are things that average guests would want to expect every day such as eggs and natto and some local specialities, but usually there is at least one or two dishes that are different depending on the day.

As far as buffet meals are concerned, I don't feel that the variety is too different from hotels in other countries, meaning that there is indeed variety, but not that much.

I really like the buffet breakfasts in ryokans and Japanese hotels - I think they get it exactly right for me, but the buffet (or "viking style" they sometimes say) dinners have been pretty underwhelming. I'd caveat that by saying that I dont like buffet dinners anywhere, but buffet dinners in Japan are probably the only occasions where I've been disappointed with the food.

But on the other part of your question - yes, every time I've stayed in a ryokan the food "theme" has been different on consecutive nights. By the 4th night I think the chef is scratching his head a little - we've had some pretty odd meals on the rare occasions we've stayed somewhere 4 nights, but sometimes you'll find the wagyu course is on the third night which is a bit of an enticement to stay.

@LAzy Pious: does this mean staying for 3 nights would increase the chance of Wagyu? Also, this means the chef does not prepare a different dinner everyday (day of week) but prepare a different dinner based on the staying guest (nth night)?

@mfedly: Tamagoyaki?

@Anyone: My question is answered but on a curiositical [sic] note:
But aren't local specialities pretty limited? Like mushrooms or fishes? Doubt each area has enough unique local ingredients to have different dishes consecutively...

aren't local specialities pretty limited? Like mushrooms or fishes? Doubt each area has enough unique local ingredients to have different dishes consecutively...

Excuse me? Where are you from anyway? It might be easier to explain by comparing examples you know of.

By the way, I spent one night at an onsen ryokan last week and had one of the best beef steaks of my life, a local speciality, from the buffet dinner.

Joshua - yep. That's what I'm talking about. I'm also letting you know that in a month or so I'll have a user post showing different meals from different ryokans in different prefectures. It might be of interest....

Now to go and watch the fireflies....

Hi, yes that's my understanding. We usually stay 2 to 3 nights and the times we eat in a dining room as opposed to our room I notice on the second night that the newbies are eating what we had on the first.
As for the beef, it depends on the place. I've had fish/pork/beef and fish/beef/pork, most places serve one beef course either on the first or second night, and it might depend on what plan you select (see the ryokan websites for that). I find one beef course is plenty.
Finally yes, nearly every place will serve a local specialty or something that is in season at that place at the time. I cant remember a place that didnt, actually. I've eaten some pretty odd things at different places.