Inside the Ryokan

Seikoro Inn
A ryokan in Kyoto
October 8, 2014

Part 1

Number one on my list of "Must Do's" while in Japan was to stay in a ryokan. I love Bed & Breakfasts so why not stay in a traditional Japanese inn? Little did I expect to learn so much about omotenashi, or the Japanese heartfelt hospitality.

The staff forming a reception line at the ryokan's entrance

Here's Alan pointing to Seikoro Inn from the narrow street.

This way to Seikoro Inn

When we first arrived in Seikoro Inn in Kyoto, two ladies came out of nowhere, whisked away our bags, and led us inside. We had to take off our shoes and put on a pair of slippers already laid out for us. There were several slippers to choose from, all lined up in a row at the entrance. I have no clue where they stashed our shoes for safekeeping.

Clean slippers at the welcoming entrance of Seikoro Inn

The cozy living room inside the ryokan.

Shot from another angle -- the homey living area at Seikoro Inn's lobby

Another relaxation area inside Seikoro Inn

A long glass display case held souvenirs and curios for sale.

Earlier in the day, we left our bags here and went back to the city to have lunch and to see the famous Fushimi Inari Shrine. Having returned from our sight-seeing trip, we were received with friendly smiles and then escorted to our assigned room down the hall. It was like coming home.

The door to our special accommodations

Past the main door was a small anteroom.  To the left was the private bathroom and adjoining toilet. To the right was the bedroom concealed by sliding doors or shoji. We had to leave our slippers in this anteroom before setting our bare feet onto the tatami floor of our sleeping area.

My reservation was for a standard non-smoking room of 6-8 tatami mats, the size equivalent to about 192 sq ft. (The tatami mat is the standard unit of measure for rooms in a ryokan and the average mat is around 3 ft by 6 ft.) This was definitely more spacious than the standard hotel accommodations in Japan.

Walking into our room, we found our luggage neatly put away next to the closet. In one corner, I noticed some amenities:  a humidifier, a night lamp, and a hot water thermos for tea. It wasn't until Alan found the remote control that I realized there was even a TV. It was discreetly veiled with yellow cloth.

A lovely sitting area for two was positioned right next to sliding doors that open up to a small yet beautiful zen garden.

Sitting area next to the sliding doors leading to a zen garden.

In the middle of the room was a low black lacquered table. There were two covered seats like chairs without legs. Each seat was complemented with a wooden arm rest propped on its left side.

Alan was thrilled to find the TV remote. The TV is covered with yellow cloth in the right corner.

We were followed by our private butler or nakai, a young lady named Saori. She was assigned to assist us during our entire stay.

This is Saori, our nakai in the ryokan.

The lovely Saori, our nakai, serving us tea.

She treated us to a welcome snack by pouring some green tea and serving dorayaki, a mini pancake with bean paste filling.

The welcome snack comprised of tea and dorayaki or mini pancake with bean paste filling.

Inside our charming room in our ryokan, Seikoro Inn

We still had plenty of time to rest before dinner service so Saori left us with some privacy. While Alan was enjoying the free wireless internet with his mobile phone, I continued my inspection of the room.

There was a different set of slippers to use inside the toilet. Our toilet was the Western kind with an electronic bidet.  Thankfully, this ryokan had a mixture of modern and traditional features.

A different set of slippers for the toilet.

Adjacent to the toilet was a curtained area that led to the private bathroom. Here I found a large sink with bath amenities and opposite that, a bench with his-and-hers yukata, or kimono robes.

Beyond this curtained entry is the private bathroom

Further inside, I found our bathroom with the typical bucket and stool next to the wooden bathtub and separate shower. Customarily, the Japanese use the bucket to wash themselves thoroughly while seated on a stool. Only after such cleansing do they soak in the tub for complete relaxation.

A wooden tub next to separate shower with wooden bucket and stool

My curious nature prompted me to tour the rest of this beautiful ryokan. I put on my yukata robe and ventured outside our room. I was particularly interested in the public bath. It wasn't difficult to find and when I learned that no one was in there, I hurried back to my room to get the camera. 

See my next posts explaining more about this communal bath and also our kaiseki or five-course dinner.

Learn more about ryokans here.