Ryokan Experience

The ryokan (Japanese traditional inn) stay was one that ZX and I were very much looking forward to in Japan. According to our very nice travel agent from JTB Ion - I've misplaced her name card but she was a super helpful Japanese lady - the ryokan in Osaka and Nara are pricier than those in Kyoto, so we decided to go with her recommendation in Kyoto.

The inn we got was a nice little place called Matsui Bekkan. It took a while for us to find it from the station as we had to traverse through many small alleys and roads, but once we got there, it seemed so easy to get around!

As we dumped our bags immediately after reaching the inn to dash to Toei Kyoto Studio Park (read here), the only shots I got of the place were after dusk and relatively unspectacular. Check out their webpage for clearer pictures.

ZX and Heidi waiting patiently

The main draw of staying at a ryokan is the closest you can get to experiencing an authentic traditional Japanese homestay with the works - tatami mats, sliding doors and donning a yukata. For us though, we were sooooo looking forward to the food!

We booked our package with dinner and were eagerly awaiting our sumptuous feast as we made our way up to our suite :) They brought out our dinner table and seats, and started to lay out our cutlery and dishes.

Heidi and I listening intently to the earnest explanation of our dinner. Unfortunately, my Japanese is zilch so we were quickly left to savour our meal after the question marks started sprouting...

Food, anyone?

Heidi got started on the container ~ this was basically how she entertained herself throughout our dinner. She wrecked everything around and crawled and crawled and crawled until her energy dipped. Gave us some peace and quiet to enjoy our food though ;) *Thanks sweetheart!*

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One of the key aspects of the Japanese culinary experience is the presentation of their food. Basically, everything looks so darn good that you can't bear to eat it. As if. You ready for our gastronomic flashback?

All the pictures were my individual portion, while ZX had his own too. In addition (!), we had a huge tub of rice to ourselves and boy did we enjoy the food or what! They say everything tastes better in Japan, and they ain't kidding! (Except on the last tour that my family and I went around Tokyo and Osaka. I have no idea how they managed to squeeze out all the lousiest meal providers in Japan during that one week. Kudos for nothing.) Here, the food tasted as good or even better than it looked!

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After the feasting, the ladies came back in to clear up and make our beds. Ah, the luxury ~ this truly is what a holiday should be :)

The thoughtfulness of the Japanese experience even extends to the intricate origami crane and accompanying card with well wishes for a restful sleep. Each guest was presented with this crane. Each, meaning baby Heidi got her mini crane too :) *Notice the 3 different coloured/patterned cranes - green for ZX, pink for Heidi & red for me!*

This was just one night. 

The next morning, we were ushered to the grand hall where we had our 3-course breakfast served to us as well. Unlike the proletariat-style buffet dining area of typical hotels, the grand hall setting was an intimate setting where guests of each room had their own table and seats reserved for them. The tables were set apart to give each group their own space but conducive enough for that warm communal ambience.

In ryokans, the other all-important feature is the public bath. Japanese expound the benefits of the hot spring and despite this being my fourth trip to Japan, I have not grown the nerve to visit the public bath in my birthday suit. ZX was quite game to try it ~ but was too zonked out after our long day (we didn't go to bed after our sumptuous spread, but made our way to a nearby temple after getting lost when we discovered it wasn't very 'nearby'). So Wasted Right?!

So anyways, after the too-short stay at the inn, we had to bid a fond farewell to the place and their friendly staff. In typical polite Japanese fashion, they gave us a grand goodbye:

Taking a shot by the ornate and simply breathtaking kimono piece which was on display by their in-house store. Check out Heidi the poor dear, simply exhausted by the excitement we caused by my frenetic packing to leave. (We thought we had another hour but it was already check-out time!)

Wishing us all the best and hoping that we will be back again. Don't ask me why ZX looks so pained.

In all, this was such a FANTASTIC experience that I would love to be back again. Perhaps next time I will have the guts to hit that public bath!