Originally Posted by
txflyer77
The only policy-type change I would like to see is the lifting of restrictions on solo travelers at ryokans. Finding ryokans that take singles can be tricky—there just aren't that many, though at least Rakuten lets you filter for them. I realize that single supplements aren't unique to Japan but they still make solo travel outside the big cities trickier than it needs to be, unless I stick to business hotels.
I've noticed this getting a lot better! A lot more ryokans are offering to put up solo travelers during the week compared to say, 5 years ago, based on personal observation. This is at both high end and mid. I've found that while they may not offer the nicest large tatami rooms for less than two guests, if you book early, there may be regular or smaller regular rooms available for solos.