Pretty Plates

Kaiseki at Seikoro Inn
A ryokan in Kyoto, Japan
October 8, 2014

Part 3

Breakfast and dinner were included in our accommodations. And the dinner wasn’t an ordinary one. We were served the kaiseki or five-course meal.

Enjoying our first kaiseki meal in a ryokan

Once again, I took pictures of everything and Saori, our nakai or personal butler, explained every dish she served. The food presentation took my breath away. Each plate was a work of art and even featured touches of the Fall season.

The First Course: a trio of appetizers

Appetizer 1: a small scoop of refreshing veggie salad topped with a single skinless grape

Appetizer 2: a small portion of chicken salad in a bowl and assorted sushi

Appetizer 3:  the hero dish of the appetizer trio -- a bowl of assorted sashimi

Alan ordered the local beer Asahi while I had premium sake with our dinner. I was so proud of Alan for trying everything we were served. And he masterfully used chopsticks too!

He was awesome in trying everything...with chopsticks!

Living it up Japanese style

The second course was a duet of soup and grilled fish.  There was a big piece of sponge-like tofu in the clear soup. I normally like tofu but I didn't particularly like this one. It's not the same tofu texture that I'm used to. 

The Second Course:  soup and grilled fish

But I enjoyed the broth. It was paired with a bite-size piece of grilled fish. The condiments came in a tiny pumpkin-shaped container. So cute!

The Third Course: a seafood ensemble

Third course dish:  Shrimp with veggies in broth

Third course dish: Another entree featuring local fish

Third course dish: A sampling of some more seafood

Then came the best part of the meal. The Fourth Course featured our favorite dish: tempura!

The Fourth Course and highlight of our meal: tempura with white rice and miso soup.

The Fifth Course: a refreshing dessert combo of honeydew and matcha pudding.

A small grape at the bottom of the matcha pudding bowl spiced up the overall dessert. It was a pleasant surprise to conclude the meal.

After dinner, Saori moved the table off to the side of the room. She then pulled the futons from the cabinet. With swift yet lady-like movements, she laid them out and neatly put the sheets on.

After dinner, Saori set up our futons

You know that the comforters are clean because they are covered with protectors.

Then we turned off this light and said nightey-night.

The next morning, Saori came back at our requested breakfast time. She cleared the floor of the futons and positioned the table back in the center of the room. Alan decided to stick to the Western breakfast while I asked for the traditional Japanese breakfast. Mine turned out to be a grand feast that included veggies, tofu, rice, grilled fish, and miso soup. Who knew?

I requested for the traditional Japanese breakfast. What a feast!

This story is a continuation of Inside the Ryokan (Part 1) and Take It All Off! (Part 2).

In my next blog post, I will be writing about our sightseeing tours in Kyoto. I can't wait to share the wonderful photos. Stay tuned!

Take It All Off!

The Public Bath 

Inside Seikoro Inn,

A ryokan in Kyoto

October 8, 2014

Part 2

Ever been to a public bath in a ryokan? Umm, what exactly do you do in here?

You wonder:  how exactly do you bathe in here?

Ladies are expected to completely take off their clothes and thoroughly wash themselves FIRST in one of the shower stalls. Just like in a regular spa, the hot tub is meant for soaking and relaxing.

You must wash yourself first in one of these shower stalls.

I couldn't do it. I kept my swimsuit on. Even if this public bath was exclusive to women (they have a separate one for the men), I couldn't bring myself to strip down completely. And I was alone in there for the most part.

The main entrance to the women's public bath

Before traveling to Japan, I researched the "How To's." I knew that in this communal bath, I was supposed to rigorously rinse myself clean while sitting on the little stool. It is only AFTER cleansing that I could soak in the hot bath.

The very first time I was introduced to this was when I visited the award-winning Grand Wailea Spa in Maui. (You can read that story here.) Also, see bottom of this post to learn the proper way of having a Japanese bath.

The steamy water in this spa helped soothe tired muscles.

After going through the drill, I sat in the spa and enjoyed how the hot water loosened up my muscles. It was exactly what I needed after walking all day.

In my previous post Inside The Ryokan - Part 1,  I talked about seizing this moment: when no one else was here so I could take as many photos as I wanted. I was so glad I had exclusivity...even for just a while.

Like a modern spa, they have complete amenities. Behind me is the shelving unit to store clothes.

Just as I was getting ready to leave, another guest walked in. Without hesitation, she fully unrobed and stashed her clothes in one of the cubby shelves. I'm not sure if she noticed I had a swimsuit on. She must've thought I was some kinda weirdo.

My eyes discreetly followed her. She went straight for one of the stalls, plopped on a stool, and then scrubbed herself clean like nobody's business. Truthfully, I wanted to watch to see how it's really done but I'm sure she would not have approved. 

The stairway that takes you to the communal bath.

I gathered my things and headed back to my room. As I wandered down the hallways, I found so many interesting art pieces at every turn. This ryokan is really lovely. 

This right here is one of my favorite art ensemble in the ryokan.

Interesting art pieces make this ryokan even more homey.

Lovely wall art

The hallway leading back to my room.

I was happy that I had my fill of relaxation for the day. After that much needed interlude, I was ready to eat. In my next post, I'll take you through my kaiseki, or five-course dining experience in the ryokan.

What is the proper way of having a Japanese bath? ~ Source: JAPANiCAN.com

In the changing area, remove all your clothes. You may take a small towel with you into the bathing area. After entering the bathing area, but before entering the main bath, you should wash your entire body. The reason for this is that in Japan, the bath is a shared facility to soak and relax in; it is not used for washing. Once you have washed yourself, enter the bath and relax!

The showers in Japanese public baths consist of seated-type stalls. It is considered bad manners to stand while taking a shower in this kind of stall. It is also considered bad manners to immerse your towel in the bath water.

Please note that some ryokan do not allow guests with tatoos to use the public bathing areas. If you have a tattoo, you should contact the ryokan or JAPANiCAN Customer Support beforehand to confirm that you will be able to use the baths. Many ryokan that do not allow guests with tatoos to use the public baths will still allow them to use the private reservable baths.

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.

Ten Thousand Gates - Part 2

Fushimi Inari Shrine - Part 2
Kyoto, Japan
October 8, 2014


On the way back, the scenery was just as captivating. I stopped at souvenir shop to buy a mini torii gate keychain. The woman who sold it to me created sparks over the keychain by striking two stones together. I suppose it's a way of blessing it with luck. Then she neatly wrapped it in paper and handed it to me with a nod.

Heading back down the mountain trail of Fushimi Inari Shrine

Another groundskeeper keeping the surroundings clean

Another worship area with stone buddhas

At the end of the trail and tucked inside a residential area is this golden buddha

We were joined by students and several tourists at Fushimi Inari Shrine. Most notable of the visitors were two young ladies dressed in kimonos. I guess it's common to find visiting locals donned in the traditional garb. It's their way of personalizing their pilgrimage and capturing memorable photos. Some go to the extent of renting the complete outfit. More info on kimono rentals here.

The kimono-clad ladies stood out from the crowd. No, they are not geishas.

I'm photo-bombing these local ladies dressed in kimonos.

It took time and patience to get this shot of the entrance without too many tourists in the way.

This tourist site was very easy to access by train. Through these pictures you'll see how Kyoto seems more rural than Tokyo. Even the train station looks more modest.

Helpful directions posted on the wall of the train station.

Waiting for our train at the Fushimi-Inari Station

Drawings of foxes on the platform signage caught my eye.

This story is a continuation of the blog post Ten Thousand Gates - Part 1. 


Keep checking back here for more adventure stories on Japan.