JAPANESE RYOKAN

On a recent trip to Obama we had the chance to stay at a traditional Japanese inn or Ryokan (旅館). It was located in the countryside, all surrounded by nature about 2 hours by car from Nagoya.

Upon entering the hotel we removed our shoes and were provided with slippers, in this kind of accommodation you are expected to use slippers inside the hotel and you see your shoes again when it’s time to check out. Our room, which was a typical Japanese room, featured tatami flooring, sliding doors and a kotatsu. The kotatsu is a low table covered with a futon and underneath is warm because it is heated either with electricity or with charcoal.


The hotel owner welcomed us with a cup of green tea and a Japanese sweet. We changed our clothes for the yukata that was also provided by the hotel and went to relax to the onsen. Remember, it is important to wash yourself before entering the onsen, do not enter wearing any kind of clothes and do not stay there for more than 15 minutes. The water is about 36℃ and you could dehydrate if you stay for a longer period of time.


At dinner time we had a real feast, eating different kinds of fish and crab (Fukui is famous for crab). One of the dishes that was particularly interesting was a baked fish with a filling of miso paste and sansho. Sansho (さんしょう) is a kind of mountain pepper with a spicy and sweet-minty flavor.


After dinner we played maayan (麻雀) a game of Chinese origin that requires tactic and good memory, especially if you are not very familiar with the symbols. At some Japanese inns it is possible to borrow games to spend the time while you are staying there.

The next morning we woke up early for a traditional Japanese breakfast including fish, rice, miso soup and koya-dofu. Then, a last visit to the onsen, a little nap and we were ready to go back to the busy world, having enjoyed the pleasure of soaking in the onsen, eating delicious food and the excellent service provided by the hotel’s staff.

If you want to go: www.hokuriku.ne.jp/fujiya/