Staying in a traditional ryokan
“Do you know how to take a bath?” the innkeeper inquired solicitously.
“Um ... I think so,” I replied. Turns out, I didn’t. When you’re staying in a traditional Japanese inn, known as a “ryokan,” the process is far more involved than it is in the West.
Many Ryokans have on-site onsens (hot springs) for bathing. The two I stayed in on a recent visit to Japan did not, but the customs around submersing myself in water were similar and just as elaborate.
First lesson: The guest doesn’t draw it herself. The innkeeper starts the process, setting the temperature (mine seemed to stick to 42 degrees Celsius), turning the taps, and alerting the guest when the tub is full. Then, once the bathroom door is closed, the guest is expected to shampoo and thoroughly scrub while standing on the drainable floor next to the tub. This is a holdover from actual hot springs tubs, where the water isn’t changed between bathers. Only after rinsing off with a handheld shower does one step into the tub. And like a “masa” (wooden box) of sake, it will be so generously filled that the water will overflow onto the floor.
Baths are not all that’s different about a stay at these special lodges.
Many are over 100 years old, and most have classic Japanese features, including sliding paper screen doors and shutters, carved wooden details and rooms with only a modicum of furniture.
Today there are approximately 1,600 ryokans in Japan, and while they give travellers a glimpse into the more traditional side of Japanese culture, they may not be for all travellers.
Here’s what you should know if you do decide to hole up in one.
Curfews: Ryokans often are referred to as “family inns” because they tend to be owned by women and run as a family concern. That means the service is highly solicitous (the bath drawing being just one example), but resources can be limited. At our inn in Kyoto, the owner herself unlocked the front door at 7 a.m. and shut it for the night at 11 p.m. Since guestrooms had no locks, once she was off “guard duty” for the night, the inn had to be sealed up. No keys were offered to guests who wished to stay out later. That being said, not all ryokans have curfews (our Tokyo one didn’t), but if you want to experience the nightlife of the city, do ask in advance of booking. Traditional rooms: In ryokans, the floors are lined with tatami mats, and beds are futons are rolled out for the night. There are no desks, and chairs, when rooms have them, are cushioned backboards that one sits on, on top of the mats, legs straight forward. For travellers with mobility issues, all of this getting up and down from the floor may be too much. As well, to keep the tatami mats pristine, the futons usually are put away during the day (it’s thought that the sweat of sleeping bodies can leach through the mattress and damage the reeds in the mats). That means that jet-lagged travellers may not have any place for an afternoon nap — that is, if they can nap on a futon. I find them very comfortable, but some complain that these stacked cotton mattresses are too hard. Meals: At many ryokans, one is expected to dine on site for both breakfast and at least one dinner. This can be a blessing, as it means one doesn’t have to travel far for sustenance. But if one doesn’t like Japanese food, there’s no escaping it. Breakfast usually will consist of noodle and rice dishes, often with fish; and dinner will be an elaborate kaiseki meal of dozens of small plates of food. Though I’m not sure why you’d visit Japan if you don’t like the cuisine, I’m sure some will, and for them there are Western-style hotels that will serve cereal, eggs and other American standards for breakfast.
Note to the reader
Please be sure to confirm all rates and details directly with the companies in question before planning your trip. The information in this column was accurate when it was released, but prices are competitive, sometimes limited and can always change without notice.