Slinky, sorry to hear about your back. Isn't Iwaso the best Ryokan in Miyajima? I belive I read somewhere that some Japanese emperor's family memebers stayed there more than a few times. Also most expensive? I checked their site and "hanare" rooms (must be private cottages you mentioned) cost twice the rooms in the new wing. Actually I visited the hotel last March when I stayed on Miyajima one night (room only online special for 4500yen !at a big hotel Kinsuikaku-Bekkan in front of the landing stage). I was walking down the Momiji-Dani Valley, passing by Momiji-so ryokan and found myself at the back side of the hotel after crossoing a small bridge. There was a garden with a pond with lots of beautiful carps in it. I entered the reception area and spoke a bit with a lady in kimono there. Good to hear you liked your first ryokan experience!

Thanks for that SlinkyDog. That does sound like the typical experience. Sounds like your room had all of the basics: entryway, main room, futon in closet, bath room with soaking tub, balcony/deck where you have your tea on arrival. Your room also had a small display of pottery or a doll or something craft for you to admire (this is called a takenomo, IIRC). Yes, Miyajima is famous for maple trees, momiji. Momiji-Dani is maple valley (or maple tree valley) and would be especially beautiful when the leaves turn colors in autumn. Hiroshima is famous for oysters, so that is probably where they came from, from the Seto Nai Kai, the Inland Sea in which the famous torii stands.

Sorry about your back!

And yes, it is typical to have dinner in an adjacent room. And for breakfast in a common area.

Oyster cultivation is all over the sea in the area. On the ferry between Miyajima-guchi and Miyajima, I saw a lots of it last March.

> Your room also had a small display of pottery or a doll or something craft for you to admire (this is called a takenomo, IIRC).

What is IIRC? I think you mean "toko-no-ma" where they hang "kake-mono" (scrolls) and put those crafts and especially ike-banas. Funny name. Toko (futon/bed) and Ma (room) = Bed room.

IIRC. Oh I got it. "If I Recall Correctly".

Hai, tokonoma. So desu. I obviously did not recall correctly.

Ahh, so desu ka ;-)

kappa, Iwaso certainly was expensive, and though I would have loved to experience their hanare rooms, I couldn't justify the cost of it! But their grounds are lovely, as you mentioned, and very serene and peaceful.

mrwunrfl, yes my room did have the tokonoma. Also, I did see a picture of Iwaso in the fall, and it looked breathtaking with all the changing colors of the leaves.

I thought the oysters were local -- they were so incredibly fresh, and large, and not like anything I have eaten at my local seafood restaurant!

A couple of other random thoughts:

My room also had two robes and a 'jacket', along with the socks you wear when you wear the getas. At night, people were fully decked out in them, walking around the town.

I did not feel awkward at all, nor was I made to feel awkward, eating my kaiseki alone in the room. (I bring this up only because when I was doing research before my trip, a single female traveler specifically asked if they would feel awkward in this situation at Iwaso.)

Also, the reason I brought up that it was 20 yen to make the call to Iwaso from the ferry building was that that phone said it took from 10 yen to 100 yen (and I couldn't read the rest!). So I put 10 yen in a few times, before the nice woman running the retail area helped me out by telling me it was 20 yen. So it's just a tip in case someone finds themselves in a similar situation!

I guess in thinking about it, I'm wondering if most ryokans are as big as Iwaso, and if they typically have elevators, or if that's too general a question to ask? (I had thought that ryokans would be smaller and more intimate than hotels, but maybe that was just a misconception on my part?)

Thanks.

No, that wasn't a misconception. The traditional ryokan is more intimate, but the ryokan style is popular so there are modern ones. See the link "Ryokan Styles" at japaneseguesthouses.com

Happy to hear that you were comfortable there.

The "jackets" were blue and burgundy/red. Which color did you choose?

mrwunrfl, I wore the burgundy/red jacket (but I thought that was the only one available??)

I did look at the Japanese Guest Houses link before I went, but so much of what I learned went out the window as my jet lag hung around far longer than I had anticipated! Well, I will be better prepared for next time. . .!

Red for female, blue for male, I think.

Thanks -- that's good to know for my next trip there!