Japanese Rooms Japanese-style guest rooms are floored with tatami straw matting. Staying in a matted room at a ryokan is highly recommendable if you have an interest in sampling the traditional japanese lifestyle. A matted room serves multiple purposes as a sitting room, dining room and bedroom. One precaution for using tatami rooms is removing your slippers before you step on the matting.Shoes and slippers are never worn inside tatami rooms.

Futon Bedding Tatami rooms have no beds. instead,futon(thick mattresses)stored in a closet during the daytime are set down and rolled out by the ryokan employee in charge in the evening.The next morning you may leave the futon on the floor.The maid will come to put it back in the closet.

Japanese-style Toilet A Japanese-style toilet has a certain sanitary advantage because skin does not touch its surface.However, most hotels and ryokans are now equipped with the more familiar Western-style toilet. In case you encounter a Japanese-style toilet,a brief explanation is given here as to how to use one. Don't sit on the toilet but squat over it,facing the hooded end.In ryokan and most Japanese homes.special slippers are provided for use in the toilet cubicle only.

Taking a Bath The Japanese people are fond of bathing in piping hot water.Large ryokans and those at hot spring resorts have big communal baths for men and women.Even though guests may have private baths in their rooms,they tend to use the communal baths to enjoy bathing and chatting with other guests. Bathing Etiquette ¥First dash hot water all over your body before getting into the bathtub. Please remember that the hot water is shared by other bathers,so don't put your hand towel in the bath water. ¥Soak in the hot water as long as you like for warmth and relaxation. ¥Scrub with soap outside the bath,then rinse off all soapsuds before reentering the bath. ¥Enjoy another good soak in the hot water. ¥After bathing,dry off with a hand towel or other towel provided.

Dining When you stay in a ryokan(inn)providing two meals,you may,depending on each inn,dine either in your room(room service)or in a general dining room.There are many inns where dinner is served in guest rooms and breakfast in the dining room. Preset menus are basic to dining at inns,leaving virtually no room for personal choice.However,some inns may comply with special requests if you order well in advance for religious or vegetarian reasons. In general,dinner will feature Japanese dishes based on local specialties or seasonal taste treats This is a good opportunity for guests to savor a full course Japanese dinner.

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