When I travel I usually choose where to overnight based on location and price, often choosing hostels, airbnb or simple guesthouses. They just need to be clean and well connected, because I’m just sleeping there, as I spend most of my time out exploring!
The Japanese ryokans, however, are a separate chapter. They are a journey within a journey, they are the destination to be discovered and fully experienced. I often hear that among the experiences to do in Japan, is listed “sleeping in a ryokan”… well, I’d choose the verb “stay” better. Because the ryokan experience is something that goes beyond a simple overnight. And I’m not just referring to the fact that traditional meals are also served or you have the opportunity to soak in an onsen. I’m talking about omotenashi, the art of Japanese hospitality.
Omotenashi is anticipating the guest’s desire, recognizing their needs and exceeding their expectations. It’s attention to detail, it’s uniqueness, it is making the guest feel appreciated.
It’s that ability of Japan to steal your heart, to make you leave with the certainty that you will come back, because you will not be able to find that magic you felt in Japan anywhere else.
Ootenashi is the basis of everything related to hospitality in Japan, but it is in the ryokan that it finds its maximum expression. Staying in a Japanese ryokan means living a unique experience, immerse in Japanese culture.
