Ryokan
A ryokan is a classic style Japanese inn. Why not try spending one or more nights at a ryokan during your visit to Kyoto and feel Japanese hospitality and culture?
What is Ryokan?
A ryokan is not only a place that offers accommodation but also one that provides a cultural experience. Clothing, dining and lifestyle are the keys to understanding another culture and a ryokan offers tourists the chance to experience these unique features of Japan. A ryokan is generally located in a classic Japanese building and the rooms have tatami (straw mat) flooring. A yukata or casual kimono is placed in the room for spending a relaxing time around the ryokan and for sleeping. Guests sleep on futon bedding directly on the tatami floor. At some ryokan, the staff wear kimono which adds to the traditional Japanese atmosphere. One of the main delights will be the beautifully presented Japanese cuisine using plenty of seasonal ingredients served during your stay.
Generally a ryokan is smaller than a hotel and may not provide the same range of services as a large hotel, while some may have curfews. However, staying in a ryokan will ensure that your stay in Kyoto will be even more memorable as they offer a unique and graceful form of hospitality embodying the very essence of traditional Japanese culture.
Rules and Manners at Ryokan
There are some useful tips for staying in a ryokan as they have different systems and facilities from those in a hotel. In this sense, a ryokan is the best place to learn about and experience the true form of Japanese life and culture.
First of all, guests are requested to take off their shoes at the entrance. Slippers are worn indoors but should be removed before walking in tatami-matted rooms. One should also be careful not to drag large bags on the tatami mat so as not to damage their surface.
Usually a Japanese room has a special alcove in one corner called a tokonoma. This is not a space for sitting or putting baggage but for displaying a flower arrangement and traditional art object.
Because traditional Japanese rooms are not highly sound proof, it is necessary to mind the noise levels at night so as not to disturb guests staying in adjacent rooms. In Japan, giving a tip is not commonplace. However, some guests present a tip (called kokoro-zuke in Japanese) to the ryokan staff that serves them.
Kyoto Prefecture Ryokan Association official website >>>>http://www.kyoto-ryokan-en.com/
For making reservation of ryokan and hotels in Kyoto >>>>
