Ryokans

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Arrived in　Sapporo... two entries for now that I wrote on the train ride over here.　　I　am going insane with this keyboard at the inet cafe (no inet at the hostel) so hopefully this doesn:t look like gibberish. Keyboards I used last time I was here weren:t nearly this crazed.

Thought I'd write a bit about these Ryokan places since I finally got a few pictures up. Essentially they're Japanese bed and breakfasts. When stepping inside you have to remove your shoes and put on supplied slippers that you use for walking around. In the case of Kangetsu which has an outside lobby you also have outdoor slippers you can use after taking a bath. Each of the rooms have a small entrance way for you to take your slippers off before stepping on the tatamai floor that comprise your actual room. It's pretty fragile so you can't just be walking around on them with shoes or other hard surfaces. Usually inside is a small cushion to sit on, a Japanese futon to sleep on, low table, and a really cheap / small TV. The toilet room is shared, usually with both western and eastern styles. The way the baths work is you wash off beforehand then relax in either an outdoor or indoor pool, before rinsing again. They supply a Yukata, a light robe sort of like a Kimono but not gender specific. Overall a very cool experience. Ryokans can be very cheap or very expensive but very comfortable places to stay.

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Photos

Lobby main bridge
Personally, I think this beats any 5 star hotel out there.

Entrance at night
Entry way to Kangetsu Ryokan (or is it Ryokan Kangetsu?)

Entrance - day
Another shot I took as I was leaving of the entry way

Room shot
Tried to get a better view of the room but it:s very.. uh.. cozy (SMALL!) so didn:t have much luck. The window at the back opens up to the lobby.

Tea Set
Tea set, although I never got a chance to try their free tea this go around.

No shoes!
Here:s the indoor slippers you had to change into before heading towards your room.

Lobby
Cool little setup here.

Bridge to baths
Just beyond the rocks to the right is the outdoor bath (for men) very relaxing,

Bridge to my room
Had to cross this every day. Not exactly wheelchair accessible but I thought it was pretty cool.

Wall
Just another shot. To the right is an outdoor smoking area, and beyond that wall again is the outdoor bath.

Entrance stairs
Stairway going up to the Ryokan. Like I said, not gonna pass any accessibility standards!

Comments

[Mom & Dad]

Relaxing Views
Love the pictures! The Ryokan looks totally relaxing - like taking a deep breath!! and the villages look quaint and real - like I imagine them. But the speed of the train takes my breath away!! take care and keep safe!! Love and prayers, mom and dad