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 There are two
national past time in Japan, one is watching baseball
and the other is natural spring bathing. After a
stressful week at work, there is no better place
to go than to a Japanese ryokan for a nice quiet
weekend and at the same time soak in the many hot
springs in Japan.
A ryokan is a
traditional Japanese inn that is located at
almost every corner of Japan. Although ryokan is
easily located but their location are mostly
near places of historic significance or
surrounded by beautiful landscapes. The best
part about ryokan is that they have at least a
communal bath, which is generally for separate
sex bathing. Many excellent hot spring resorts,
known as onsen, are in fact Photo: Japanese
girls in hot spring bathing ryokan built on the
site of a hot spring.
There are many top
onsen ryokan in Japan to cater the ever
increasing number of tourists who travel to
Japan just to seek these famous hot spring
resorts in Japan. The tranquility behind
the sliding paper doors, the fresh fruits
baskets and the barbequed seafood served, the
open-air bathing and the relaxing atmosphere
will definitely eased all your worries and make
you forget all your problems at the office.
Just relax and wait to be pampered by the wonderful
staff at the ryokan. Ryokan has become a favorite
among tourists because they can be a part of the
unique Japanese way of living which first came
to existence during the 17th century and also to
indulge in the well-known Japanese hospitality.
For a stay in the same Japan as experienced by
the most elegant Daimyo of the ancient times, a
night in a ryokan is definitely recommended. There
are several types of ryokan, from the elegant inns
that have preserved their thatched roofs, bold
wood beams and the fragrant tatami floors, the
converted farmhouses to house guests and to the
newly built inns with their unique design.
 The natural
surroundings around a ryokan is specially
designed to sooth the mind and spirit. Besides
staying overnight, breakfast and dinner are
usually served. Dinner can be made up of either
a formal meal known as kaiseki or a simpler
combination of tempura and broth while breakfast
is usually made up of eggs, grilled fish and miso
soup, and the same time, visitors can be amazed
by the architecture of the ryokan guest room which
depicts designs from the temple halls. The guest rooms are
usually spacious as they do not have the usual
Photo: Japanese girls in hot baths
furniture found in a
hotel room. Sliding screens of translucent paper
known as shoji are the only things that separates
you from the fascinating landscape outside. For
decorations, fresh ikebana are placed in small
recessed walls spaces called tokonoma. The more
popular ryokan are a combination of Sukiya and Shoin
architectural designs from the Edo Period and
most of the ryokan found nowadays are onsen
ryokan which are located near natural springs
which allow guests to indulge in an unforgettable
Japanese spa experience except for those found in Kyoto
and Nara. These natural springs produces healing
waters which is known to cure arteriosclerosis,
gout, rheumatism and skin disease. These waters
can only be considered as onsen waters only if
they flow from underground to the surface at
over 750F and contain only a very
small amount of minerals like iron, sodium or
sulfur.
 The best time to
visit onsen ryokan is to avoid the peak periods
which is during the New Year Holidays (December
29th to January 3rd),
Cherry Blossoms (late March through early
April), Golden Week (April 29th to
May 5th), O-bon (second and third
weeks of August) and Leaf Season (middle to late
November, especially in Kyoto). The rates are at its
highest during this time and advance booking are
recommended should you intend to visit during
these times. One important thing to Hot
spring baths in Japan
realize here is
that the ryokan rates are charged by the person and not
by room. Slippers are to be worn within the inn
and special bathroom slippers are also being
provided for use in the bathroom. Wear the zori
or geta when you are outside in the gardens.
While inside the inn, a cotton kimono called the
yukata is given together with a haori and tanzen,
short robes, are to be worn inside the inn.
Onsen are usually open twenty four hours and the
recommended time to go to the baths is before or
after dinner, late in the evening, and before or
after breakfast. You are advised to
wash your body before entering the minerals
baths. Some ryokan may offer visitors private
onsen baths adjoining the rooms while some may
have family baths catering for private use
called kazukoburo. No matter which types of
baths you go to. be it communal or private, the
benefits will still remain the same and your
body is guaranteed to rejuvenate after a soak in
these baths. In recent years, onsen have gained
a certain cachet among the younger generation
and now most hot-spring spas are very popular
throughout the year.
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