Vanessa Visits

One of the experiences I was most excited for during my honeymoon in Japan was staying at a traditional ryokan. After spending a week exploring bustling cities, major tourist attractions, and crowded train stations, I was ready for something quieter and more traditional. And, for one night in Nara, that came in the form of Mikasa Ryokan.

Arriving in Nara

My husband, Tim, posing with one of Nara’s 1400 free roaming deer

Our day began at Nara Park, one of Japan’s most famous destinations and home to over 1,400 free-roaming deer. I plan on writing a separate blog post about Nara Park and our experience of getting to see the deer, so I won’t get too into it here, but it was a wonderful time. As a lover of woodland creatures, and especially deer, I had been looking forward to this day for months and months, and it did not disappoint. And of course, I purchased many deer related souvenirs to bring home. After spending the morning and much of the afternoon exploring the temples and taking in the view of hundreds of deer walking around the park, it was time to take our shuttle up into the hills to our ryokan. During our bus ride, we were treated with even more deer sightings as we drove through the woods.

The contrast was immediately noticeable, as the busy and touristy areas of Nara gave way to a much more tranquil atmosphere. It quickly became clear that the purpose of staying at a ryokan isn’t just to crash somewhere for the night, but to slow down and soak in the experience.

A different kind of hotel

For those unfamiliar, ryokans are traditional Japanese inns. They offer a completely different experience than you would find at a standard hotel. At Mikasa ryokan, our room featured tatami mat flooring and traditional Japanese design elements. We were provided with yukatas, which are traditional Japanese robes that are meant to be worn casually around the property, which added to the feeling of a traditional Japanese experience and a relaxing, slow pace. And, our room was stocked with free rice crackers and other salty snacks as well as several free alcoholic beverages!

One of the highlights of our stay was that we booked a room with a private bath. Most ryokans have public baths, but not all of them have private ones. If you would like to book a stay at a ryokan with access to a private bath, be prepared to pay extra for it. For my husband and I, it was worth it. It meant that we didn’t have to go to the public baths, which we weren’t comfortable doing this trip. Also worth mentioning is that many public baths do not allow people with tattoos to use them.

Our private bath at Mikasa, featuring some floating LED candles I got on Amazon for a little extra romantic flair

An incredible multi-course dinner

Our dinner at Mikasa was easily the most memorable part of the experience. We were served in a private dining room, and the meal lasted almost two hours. Multiple courses were served to us throughout the meal, which made this dinner feel like a premium and luxurious experience, as well as a traditional one.

Our meal included appetizers, hot pot, sushi, pickled vegetables, yakiniku, rice, soup, and dessert. And everything was very beautifully presented. The highlight for both me and my husband was the hot pot. It was truly delicious.

Sitting down for such an elaborate dinner, donned in our yukatas, felt so special.

After dinner, we spent the night relaxing in our room, imbibing with the free beer, and reflecting on our experience thus far. I will say, if you’re used to Western style beds and hotels, the futons directly on the floor take a little bit of getting used to, but they were more comfortable than they look, and we were able to get a pretty decent night’s sleep. If the sleeping arrangements are the only thing giving you pause in your decision whether or not to stay at a ryokan, I would suggest not letting that stop you. Especially if it’s for just one night, like it was for us.

A traditional Japanese breakfast

The next morning, we were treated to another multi-course meal. As someone who does not typically eat a large breakfast, I was not able to eat more than half of this meal. It was a lot! Meals are very clearly a big part of the experience of staying at a ryokan. Our breakfast courses included grilled fish, tofu, fruit, rice, and more.

Is staying at a ryokan worth it?

I would say that a night or two at a ryokan is worth it if you are interested in having a more traditional Japanese experience. It may not be for everyone, especially those who are drawn to visiting Japan for their modern cities and amenities. For us, a night at a ryokan was a very special experience. We may not do something like this for every trip, but for our honeymoon, it was special and peaceful and wonderful. The main drawback for me was the sleeping arrangements, which I feel very guilty saying because I understand that the futons are traditional and part of Japan’s rich cultural history. With that being said, it wasn’t a HUGE deal, and I was still able to get a reasonable amount of sleep. I just felt like mentioning it because this experience may not be for everyone!

A beautiful view from the Mikasa ryokan

In the midst of a packed Japan itinerary, a night at a ryokan will allow you to slow down and reflect on the wonderful experience of traveling and visiting such an amazing country. Let me know if this blog post made you consider staying at one during your upcoming trip!