My first Time in a Ryokan

In persuit of a traditional Japanese breakfast, I must accept that this is probably something people only prepare at home. All venues I found in Kyoto seem offer only western style breakfast. Quite common for locals to have breakfast out, is at a コンビニ(combini - convenience store). While the food is much better than you might expect, the feel is just the opposite of cozy.

So I came up with another option. I decided to stay in a ryokan, a traditional japanese guest house which is quite different from a hotel.

The rooms have a floor lined with mats out of common rush and rice straw (tatami). A lightweight sliding door seperates the room from the hallway and the interior is quite minimalistic. There is a low table and zaisu to sit on. That is a chair with a back but no legs, which helps a lot if you are not used to sit on the floor the seiza way.

Instead of a bed there is a futon. That is basically a thick cotton blanket which is put on the somewhat soft tatami floor. Yes, it is as soft, comfortable and cozy as it sounds, namely, not at all. If you happen to sleep on your back, it will probably work for you. In all other cases, you won't get much sleep on a futon.

At least I didn't, especially because of an air conditioner, rushing all night as loud as if there was a faucet roaring next to my head.

The bathroom was nowhere near as fancy as the one in the hotel. Although the breakfast was explicitly belauded in one review on the booking site, they didn't have any. A bit like the free wifi which they were eager to give me the password for. Only the network was not there. At least not in my room.

Still I really loved the minimalistic interior design and I am not pitty of the experience at all.