Ryokans

choi

* Ryokan (inn)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ryokan_(inn)


Joe Jackson, In With the Inn-Crowd; Though alien to American sensibilities, Japan's austere ryokans -- or traditional inns. 00 let you slip into authentic local culture. Wall Street Journal, Feb 20, 2016 (in the "Off Duty" section that appears every Saturday).
http://www.wsj.com/articles/japa ... e-tastes-1455739860

Quote:

(a) "ON A COLD night in the hills of Kumano, in southwest Japan" I stayed at Fujiya
(i) Kawayu Onsen Fujiya  冨士屋
http://www.fuziya.co.jp/

* kawayu onsen  川湯温泉
www.tb-kumano.jp/en/onsen/kawayu/
* Oto River 大塔川
(b) "But for all of their romance, ryokans also require flexibility, patience and a sense of adventure. As I learned on a recent trip to Japan, bathing naked with (usually same-sex) strangers, sleeping basically on the floor and eating miso soup and pickles for breakfast all come with territory.

(c) In Tokyo, I stayed at Sawanoya ryokan, in the city's historic Yanaka district. Like many ryokans, it has departed from tradition by courting foreigners (who now make up about 85% of its guests) and opting out of serving dinner. But it has two traditional baths and plenty of omotenashi, roughly translated as wholehearted hospitality.

"Sawanoya is charming yet humble: only two rooms have private bathrooms; the remaining 10 share toilets and communal tubs. The furnishings are spare, with tatami-style floors. Nonetheless, the inn is beloved by its guests, and the equally humble rate -- about $48 a night -- probably adds to its appeal.

(d) "The elegant Hiiragiya ryokan, in Kyoto, manages to feel intimate and serene even though it's in an urban center. The hotel has counted royalty, presidents and Charlie Chaplin among its guests. * * * proprietress Akemi Nishimura 西村 明美 [For definition of 'ake,' see Note(e)(i)] said modestly[:] 'It's because we are near the Imperial Palace[before Emperor Meiji moved to Tokyo], I think.'  Opened in 1818, Hiiragiya has a subtle, well preserved grandeur.

"My simple, tiny room was spartan. Aside from a low, wooden table holding a tea set, there were just a few other furnishings, including a scroll painting on the wall. The television and telephone had been concealed beneath cloth covers.

"As early evening arrived, the hallways creaked with kimono-clad servers carrying bottles of sake and the myriad elements of the Kaiseki, or traditional multicourse meal. Relaxed from a soak in a communal cedar tub, I was happy to eat alone in my room -- the custom in ryokan -- fully immersing myself in the 12 courses that arrived one-by-one, from boiled crab wrapped with pickled, sliced turnip to grilled Spanish mackerel marinated in miso and soy sauces.

(e) In Fukushima [among the prefectures that the 2011 tsunami hit] * * * the excellent 67-room Shikisai Ichiriki continues to attract notable guests (England’s Prince William stayed last February).  The contemporary, five-story building fronted by a large garden and pond may lack the antiquated charm of a place like Hiiragiya, but the best elements of ryokans -- indoor and outdoor baths, local cuisine, traditionally styled rooms and exceptional service -- are all delivered superbly well.

(f) "Other aspects of ryokans did eventually prove irksome. For instance, I found relaxing or taking a nap during the day difficult because staff would remove the futon after breakfast and not return it until dinner ws finished.

Note:
(a) Kumano, Mie  三重県 熊野市
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kumano,_Mie
(b) go/come with the territory
dictionary.cambridge.org/us/dictionary/english/go-come-with-the-territory
(c) Ryokan Sawanoya  旅館 澤の屋
http://www.sawanoya.com/
(d) Yanaka  谷中
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yanaka,_Tokyo

is a neighborhood within 東京都台東区. In contrast to Yama-no-te 山の手 (the hilly regions to the west where merchants perferred), Shitamachi 下町 lietrally means low-lying areas (ie, marshland) populated vy the mass in Edo period.

(e) Hiiragiya  京都の老舗旅館 柊家
www.hiiragiya.co.jp/
(i) Japanese English dictionary:
* hiiragi ヒイラギ 《柊; 疼木》 【ひいらぎ; ひらぎ(柊)】 (n): "holly olive (Osmanthus heterophyllus)"
* ake 明け 【あけ】 (n): "(ant[onym]: 暮れ) dawn; daybreak"
* 季 【き】 (n): "season"
   ^ 四季 【しき】 (n): "four seasons"
(ii) Osmanthus heterophyllus
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Osmanthus_heterophyllus
(native to Japan and Taiwan)

(f) Shiki-sai Ichi-riki  温泉旅館 四季彩 一力
http://www.ichiriki.com/