Ryokan (inn)

src: upload.wikimedia.org

A ryokan ( ?? ) is a traditional Japanese lodging type that has been around since the eighth century AD during the Keiun period, where the world's oldest hotel, Nishiyama Onsen Keiunkan, was created in 705 AD Another old Ryokan called HÃ… shi Ryokan was founded in 718 AD and is also known as the second oldest hotel in the world. Such lodging also caters to tourists along the Japanese highway. They usually have rooms that are styled tatami , public baths, and other public areas where visitors can wear yukata and talk to their owners.

The ryokan is hard to find in Tokyo and other big cities as it is expensive compared to hotels, and Japanese people are increasingly using hotels for urban tourism. Nonetheless, some big cities have affordable ryokans, costing around $ 40 per night. However, ryokan is usually located in beautiful areas, such as in the mountains or by the sea, and in recent years many ryokan have been redeveloped to their original style mainly by the resort network of Hoshino Resorts, whose first ryokan opened in Karuizawa in 1914.

Video Ryokan (inn)

Features

The typical Ryokan has a relatively large entrance space, with couches and chairs where guests can sit and talk; a modern ryokan often has a television in the hall as well. The rooms are built using traditional Japanese methods: the floor is a tatami, and the door is a sliding door. Even if the inn uses a hinged door for security, it usually opens to a small entrance where guests can take off their shoes before stepping onto the tatami floor, which will be separated by a sliding door. Many ryokan rooms also have a terrace or balcony, also set off with sliding doors.

Almost all ryokans have a public bath area or ofuro, usually separated by sex, using water from hot springs ( onsen ) if they are nearby. (Areas with natural hot springs tend to attract high concentrations of ryokan). The upmarket Ryokan also provides private bath facilities. Usually the ryokan provides guests with yukata to wear; they may also have games like table tennis, and maybe geta that visitors can borrow for a walk outside.

The bed is a futon spread on the tatami floor. When guests first enter their room, they usually find a table and some supplies to make tea. Tables are also used for meals when guests take them to their rooms. When a guest is out, the staff (usually called nakai ) will move the table sideways and put the futon.

Maps Ryokan (inn)

Meals

Most ryokans offer dinner and breakfast, which are often included in the room price. Most visitors take their food at the ryokan, which usually promotes themselves on the quality of their food. Food usually consists of traditional Japanese dishes known as kaiseki , featuring seasonal and regional specialties. ( Kaiseki originally refers to the snacks served during the tea ceremony, and today refers to a meal consisting of a variety of varied dishes.) Some ryokan instead serve local specialties such as basashi or food cooked in a fireplace irori . In order for each dish to be enjoyed at the right temperature, the ryokan emphasizes that guests should be on time for their meals. For this reason, most ryokans ask guests to confirm the time they want to take their food.

Some ryokans have a shared dining room, but most serve meals in guest rooms. A ryokan possibly serving non-Japanese guests may also have Western food choices.

src: q-ec.bstatic.com

Minshuku

Minshuku ( ?? ) is the budget version of the ryokan, roughly equivalent to an English boarding house or bed and breakfast. The facilities are similar to hotels or may only consist of spare rooms in a family home. Minshuku often serves as the only type of accommodation in a town or village that is too small to guarantee a hotel or a special ryokan. The overall experience is almost the same, but the food is simpler, meals may be optional and often communal, rooms usually do not have private toilets, and guests may have to put their own beds.

src: www.ryokan.or.jp

See also

• Tourism in Japan
• H? shi Ryokan

src: www.kashiwaya.org

References

src: kyoto-ryokan.co.jp

External links

• JAPANiCAN.com
• Japanese Ryokan Association
• Japanese Guest House
• Organize Japanese Travel

Source of the article : Wikipedia