Hello and welcome back! Today, we will be diving into what was one of the most captivating experiences on this trip, and what will likely be the most memorable for me personally. What was it and why was it so memorable? Read on to find out!
Over the years, the more I have fallen in love with Japan, the more I’ve learned to appreciate the less well known aspects of Japanese society and culture. Despite Japan’s reputation as a bustling tech hub and a place for all kinds of unique pop culture, I have always been drawn to the more traditional side of Japanese culture through my own practice of a Japanese martial art, as well as a general love for old things and traditions. Along with that has come an interest in what life is like in more rural areas of Japan, where people live more traditional and simple lifestyles compared to the modern, busy lifestyle found in so many big cities.
Putting all that together, if someone was to ask me what I would like to do while travelling in Japan, staying at a ryokan would be at the top of my list of experiences. But back up. What even is a ryokan?
A ryokan is a traditional type of Japanese accomidation, commonly described as a Japanese inn. Ryokan as a concept dates back to the Nara period of Japanese history, about 1300 years ago. Originally used as roadside accomidations for monks, samurai and other travellers, ryokan have evolved into a type of lodging that shows off traditional Japanese culture, hospitality and asthetics.
Today, ryokan come in all sizes, styles, and price points. They can vary anywhere from small family-run places with a few rooms and simple meals to huge, resortlike structures. Many of them, particularly near areas famous for onsen *hot springs), also allow guests to access either purpose built baths in the ryokan itself, or nearby hot spring facilities.
When my family made a short visit to Japan on the way home from Taiwan earlier in February, we spent the night at two luxurious Ryokan. Both featured Japanese and western fusion style rooms with private hot spring baths, and were large establishments clearly geared toward tourists and people who had the money for a sweet getaway. And yet, even with all the fancy bells and whistles, I felt like it was too much. I’ve always dreamed of staying at a ryokan that was smaller, somewhere more rural, and preferably run by a local family. And this trip, I struck gold with somewhere that checked all three boxes!
We left early in the morning on September 9th, which turned out to be a wise choice. With four people, a good amount of luggage, after we’d sorted ourselves out, we didn’t have time to make the train that would take us directly to the station we needed to get to. Instead, we had to opt for a second route involving a transfer, which gave us the unique experience of having to run through a crowded train station in order to reach our platform on time, something everyone should probably experience at least once! As it turned out, we got to the station on time, which was a good thing because the bus that would drop us near the ryokan only runs once a day (what better way to let us know we were headed out into the Japanese countryside?).
After a journey that lasted about 5 hours, we finally reached our destination. Our host, Aiko, who runs the ryokan with her family, greeted us warmly. We got connected through a mutual friend, and so it was nice to finally meet in person! After bringing in all our luggage, we went through a smooth check-in process. Those of us with canes were given cloth covers that are placed on the end of mobility aids to prevent tips from scratching the wood flooring or the tatami mats. The covers were in the shape of cats paws as well, which means our canes will probably never look this cute ever again!
After checking in, we brought our luggage upstairs, where we found the first surprise. Not only did we have a room to sleep in, we had a second room to ourselves just for relaxation and to put all of our luggage! Complete with a sofa, coffee, a tea set, and a fridge with various drinks to try for an extra charge, we would be spending a lot of time here. After that, Aiko gave us a quick tour of the ryokan, including where the three hot spring baths were located. For someone who had never guided blind guests before, she explained everything in a way that was clear and easy to understand. With two rotenburo (outdoor baths), and one indoor one, there were plenty of options to choose from. The hinoki, or Japanese Cypress bath, which was also the one that could be reserved for private use, would turn out to be my personal preference, with its wood construction and pleasing aroma while soaking. And as a bonus, the reservation system was accessible too, with wooden blocks being placed on a board to reserve by the hour. Of course, with no braille, we had to be told it was by the hour and the way the slots went, but once that was done, the rest was easy! After the tour, Aiko left us to our own devices until dinner time, which gave us time to rest and soak in the surroundings (yes, pun intended!).
After some rest and relaxing both in and out of the onsen, time arrived for dinner. Aiko once again came to check on us, and taught us how to properly wear and tie our yukata, a more casual version of a kimono typically worn in summer. Once that was done, we headed downstairs for a meal that I can only describe as beyond anything I could’ve expected, in the best way possible. The meal was served Kaiseki style, which meant that each course was presented beautifully. Japanese Kaiseki dining is something that anyone can appreciate, blind or not, for its complexity and beauty. Each dish is prepared using traditional cooking methods, then artfully presented in a way that celebrates seasonal ingredients, and with every dish coming together to create a wonderful blend of flavours, textures, and for those with vision, colors. It would be too many dishes to list, but my personal favourites would have to be the Japanese ebi (Japanese spiny lobster), and awabi (abalone). The abalone was a particular treat as we got to enjoy it as both sashimi (raw), and grilled. Raw abalone was a first for me, as was the spiny lobster, and both were delicious! Once again, Aiko talked us through each dish, and chatted with us while we ate. It was also the first time for us to have mikanshu, a liqueur made from Japanese mikan or mandarin oranges, which was a truly unique drink and left all of us wanting more!
After dinner came some more relaxation, as we were all tired from a long travel day. We took some time to sample some of the drinks from the fridge in our lounge area, local beers and juices, and then it was one more soak in the onsen before bed. We fell asleep to the sound of crickets and cicadas, a wonderfully unique soundscape that none of us had ever experienced before. For me, this was the sound that truly distinguished the quiet and peaceful Japanese countryside from the bustling and crowded streets of Tokyo, where we had just spent a week. And there is no question at all as to which I prefered. Take a listen!
The next morning, we started our day with a morning bath, then headed downstairs for a traditional Japanese breakfast of miso soup, rice, grilled fish, tofu and assorted vegetables. Much ligher and oily than a full western breakfast, this type of breakfast is what I’ve prefered since my first time sampling it!
After breakfast, it was time to say goodbye. We checked out, bought some memorial bottles of mikanshu, then went closer to the ocean to take some pictures. Aiko, her husband, and her mother-in-law gave us a hand moving all our luggage to the bus stop, and with that, our ryokan experience came to an end.
It’s difficult to put into words just how amazing this experience was. As already mentioned, I am a sucker for the more traditional parts of Japanese culture and society, and staying at a traditional ryokan has been a dream of mine for as long as I’ve known of their existence. Sure, there are bigger, fancier, and more expensive places. But Kumomien, with its simple elegance, homey feel, kind and sincere staff, along with everything else mentioned in this article, will be an experience I relive again and again, and will certainly be a place I make a point to stop at whenever I am back in Japan!
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