ryokan – Susan Spann, Adventure, Mystery, and Mountains

Welcome Tea at Japanese Inns (Ryokan) and Temple Lodgings

Susan Spann Blog November 26, 2018November 21, 2018Japan, Japanese customs, ryokan, shukubo, tea, traditional inn, welcome tea

Japanese people have many customs that may seem strange or unusual to Western visitors, many of which are easy to admire and enjoy. One of my favorites is the custom of welcome tea, still practiced by most ryokan (traditional inns) and temple lodgings, as well as traditional shops and businesses.*

Traditional Japanese Welcome Tea (and Cakes)

Susan Spann Blog February 5, 2018February 5, 2018Japan, ryokan, tea, temple lodgings, traveling, welcome tea

Tea is the most commonly-consumed drink in Japan, and a customary part of the welcome visitors receive at traditional inns (ryokan), temple lodgings (shukubo), and many guest houses (minshuku). The type and grade of tea used to welcome guests varies significantly in type and grade by region, accommodation, and/or time of year.

A Night at Tonosawa Ichinoyu Shinkan, Hakone

Susan Spann Blog October 4, 2017November 8, 2017Hakone, Ichinoyu Shinkan, Japan, ryokan, travel

(To read this series on Hakone from the beginning, click here.) From Tonosawa Station, it’s a beautiful, forested 5-minute walk to Ichinoyu Shinkan, the ryokan (traditional Japanese inn) where I’ve stayed during both of my research trips to Japan. The paved path winds along the hillside, under a beautiful canopy of trees: . . . with views of the foliage on the hill across the way. It’s peaceful and lovely in any season, although the autumn leaves make this a truly spectacular walk. Ichinoyu Shinkan sits against the side of a hill. Despite its unassuming exterior, the rooms are a lovely blend of convenience

Welcome Tea in Japanese Temples & Ryokan

Susan Spann Blog January 31, 2017November 8, 2017Japan, ryokan, snacks, tea, temples, travel

When staying in Japanese temples or ryokan (traditional inns), guests are customarily served tea and a snack (often a regional specialty like a cookie or cake) upon arrival.

Japanese Toilet Slippers

Susan Spann Blog January 12, 2017November 8, 2017bathroom, Japan, ryokan, slippers, Toilet slippers

Visitors to traditional Japanese homes, ryokan (inns), and shrines typically remove their shoes and leave them at the door. All well and good for brief visits, but what happens when you need to answer the call of nature during a shoeless time? Toilet slippers.

A Night in Medieval Japan

Admin Uncategorized December 27, 2015history, Iwaso, Japan, medieval Japan, Miyajima, ryokan

I spend a lot of time in medieval Japan. Since I’m not in possession of a time machine (more’s the pity) most of that time gets spent in my head, or in books, but last summer I had the chance to spend a night in a ryokan (a traditional Japanese inn) that came as close as I may ever get to the life my ninja detective, Hiro, would have lived on a daily basis. During my research trip to Japan, I spent the night at Ryokan Iwaso on Miyajima, a sacred island off the coast of Hiroshima. Constructed in 1854,