Hakone ryokan: Japanese Inn

Published on: Apr 5, 2008

I have a lot of interesting photos for this place, so I will be creating several entries to cover different aspects of our experience here. This was an expensive, elegant ryokan in Hakone, a famous resort area south of Tokyo known for its hot springs. We were blown away by everything in this ryokan...the room, the food and the baths, as you will soon see.

 Wikipedia offers this definition of the ryokan:

 "A ryokan is a type of traditional Japanese inn dating from the Edo Period (1603-1868), when they served travelers along Japan's highways. They typically feature tatami-matted rooms, communal baths, and other public areas where visitors may wear yukata (robes) and talk with the owner.  Ryokan are difficult to find in Tokyo and other large cities because many are expensive compared to hotels, and Japanese people increasingly use hotels for urban tourism (a notable exception to this is Kyoto, a city people visit for its ryokan). Nonetheless, some major cities do have reasonably priced ryokan, with some as little as $40 a night. However, ryokan are more typically located in scenic areas—in the mountains or by the sea—and can charge upwards of $400 per night."

The ryokan in Hakone was nestled in the hills above the town, and we were greeted at the entrance by an eager young man as we arrived by bus from the train station.

Ryokan entrance

As most people know, in Japan it is the custom to remove one's shoes before going into a home or inn, as well as when entering some temples and restaurants. When you remove your shoes, you are given slippers to wear, but the slippers are only for certain areas. When you are enter a room with a tatami mat, you must also remove your slippers, and walk in your stocking feet or barefoot. I love this image of a family's shoes laid out in the lobby of the ryokan. Notice they are facing out, towards the door. It is improper and bad luck to face them the other way.

Shoes, all in a row.

Our room was quite elegant. Here is a view of the main room, showing the private zen garden we had.

This is another view of the main room, along one wall. I'm just guessing at this, but it seemed to be an area that women might use to put on makeup, as there was a mirror behind the fabric, and a table for cosmetic items. Oh, and it was wildly pink...

Next is a view of the lounge room we had, with a sofa and table, a refrigerator, and a lovely view of the hills above us and the flowering plum trees below.

And here is Jesse, dressed in the clothing they provided for us to use when going to the baths. He has on a light cotton yukata, and a heavier haori robe, to keep warm in.

While we were at the baths, a woman came to clear the dishes from our meal (more on that next!), move the table, and lay out our bedding, which were soft futons with elegant comforters. During the day, the bedding is stored in closets. There are no separate bedrooms, which allows better use of the available space.

A futon bed.

In the next entry, I'll be talking about the food and the baths at this ryokan.