Friday, April 27, 2007

Inside a traditional Japanese guesthouse

The ryokan was simple but intensely Japanese. Tatami matting lined the floor, and a series of sliding doors sectioned off the two main rooms from the long narrow hallway.


I was pleasantly surprised to see a full bathroom with a deep bath. The loo had a heated toilet seat - a really popular contraption in Japan.

The main room was sparse in terms of furniture and lounges for that matter. The only seats that existed in this ryokan were the two arm chairs in the little indoor balcony that overlooked the temple, and two ground-level chairs that we gathered formed part of the dinner ritual.

We knocked back a few beers and pondered life in Japan, when a knock at the door signalled dinner.

It was indeed a spectacle that deserves a post of its own.

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