Ryokan ni ikitai desu ka?

Speaking of hotels, I’ve been thinking about a few of the places I’ve stayed, and THAT got me thinking about a completely unique place to stay: a ryokan. Ryokans, for those who don’t know, are Japanese guesthouses -- traditional hotels. They’re wonderful for many reasons: they tend to be less expensive than a western hotel, they provide something of the authentic Japanese experience, and they’re usually clean and neat. Of course, they have a few drawbacks too, most notably that some of them have curfews -- but you can usually circumvent that problem by simply letting them know what time you’ll be in. Because the guest houses are typically owned by families, they aren’t staffed twenty-four hours a day, and they just want to know when they can lock the doors.

At any rate, if you’re thinking of heading to Japan, it’s well worth considering a ryokan. The Japanese Guest Houses website (http://www.japaneseguesthouses.com/index.htm) offers descriptions of typical ryokans, reservation forms, and lets you search Japan for guest houses. The types of ryokans they describe include:

1. Standard Ryokan: No frills, low-atmosphere, with Japanese-style rooms: a ryokan experience “on the cheap.”

2. Modern Ryokan: Has all the modern conveniences of a hotel, but with Japanese rooms and baths. Closer to a hotel than a traditional ryokan.

3. Traditional Ryokan: Low on modern conveniences but high on culture and atmosphere.

4. Minshuku: Inexpensive and personalized traditional Japanese experiences, although they tend to be small and drafty

These are just a few of the options out there. It’s well worth staying in a ryokan if you’re traveling to Japan, even if only for a few nights!