I am hoping someone can help me or point me in the right direction with this.

My husband, teenage son, and I wish to spend at least two weeks in Japan learning about the culture and living in a traditional ryokan. This is separate from our time spent in Tokyo.

We can spend 2-3 weeks in one place, or 1 week in a couple different places. From this stay we would venture out most days to visit religious or other cultural sights.

The trip is in November. We do not want to do outdoor adventure-type sports. We are only interested in understanding Japan's cultural history, and of course, viewing its natural beauty.

I was looking at Nagoya or Nara because there seems to be a lot to see and do while basing there. Does anyone have a different regional suggestion, or the perfect ryokan to recommend to me?

Thanks,
Staci

I have never been but you might want to try a temple stay at one of the temples at Koyasan

http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e4900.html

http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e4905.html

http://tinyurl.com/5b5res

You might want to check out some of the ryokan on Shikoku Island

http://tinyurl.com/6l936d

We stayed at a minshuku called Tsurunoyu in Northern Tohoku which is just incredible and would definitely fill your requirements for natural beauty and cultural history with lots of beautiful hiking and cheap lodgings. They do have family quarters for long stays.

http://tinyurl.com/3you3c

Aloha!

Thank you Hawaiiantraveler!

I was thinking of Koyasan myself, although I'm not sure how easy it is to get in and out each day. We definitely want to sightsee. Also, Koyasan has 50 different lodgings available - how does one know where to go?

Your Tsurunoyu Onsen looks fantastic! Are the photos yours? They only thing is that this is located on the Sea of Japan side, and I'm worried about bad weather/snow in November.

Have you been to the Kyoto/Nara/Nagoya areas to visit the temples, statues, Ise, etc.? If so, can you recommend any ryokan in those areas? I am definitely still considering Koyasan though.

Thanks for your help and ideas.

Staci

What part of November are you planning on traveling?

A little touch of snow only enhances the Tsurunoyu area.....believe me. You may think I am nuts but I am predicting a warmer than usual fall for Northern Japan so fall colors will be a little earlier in most of Japan this year.

No the pictures are not ours but from the site that I bookmarked. You can book the Tsurunoyu through that site, Japanese Guest Houses.

Yes I have been to Kyoto, Nara and Nagoya but not in any ryokan in those areas.

If you don't mind me asking....what is your daily budget for the ryokan stay?

Are you planning only ryokan stays or do you want other accomodations also?

I think with that information others here and I can chime in with more information.

Aloha!

You might enjoy spending a week in 2 or 3 different places as in each part of Japan you will find different beautiful things to see and culture to observe. I have not been to Koya but it's near the top of my next Japan trip. Many people also love the ryokan on Myajima which you can find in searches on this site.

I can recommend two places but I think you may only want to spend a week or less in either of these places as they are truly up the mountain country so it is hard to get from there to other places you might want to see. We went there a few days before Thanksgiving and the weather was cool (50's) but not freezing and there was beautiful fall foliage. No snow yet until late December I think in this area.
These ryokan are rated as two of the most beautiful Ryokans in all Japan. They are at Onsens (hot springs) in the mountains west and slightly north of Tokyo: Chojukan at Hoshi onsen and Osenkaku at Takaragawa Onsen. Chojukan is a stunning Ryokan with beautiful old wood buildings set among a beautiful stream. The antique buildings and setting indoors and outdoors are wonderful and they provide wonderful Kaiseki dinners in your room. Here the main bath is indoors in an antique bath house. However there is a pretty outdoor one also. Osenkaku Ryokan is a nice building but not quite as beautiful as Chojukan however the Onsen is a stunning outdoor pond in an incomparable setting by a rushing river with rising steam all outdoors. We spent one night and almost a full day in each and that was wonderful.
You would have to take the bullet train from Tokyo to Jomo Kogen (less than 2 hours) station then either take small local buses or get a driver to pick you up at the train station but these places are so wonderful. Both are available through japan guest houses but you can email them directly for info especially at Chojukan. Here's a website with photos of Takaragawa onsen: http://www.anatol.org/projects/rachel/springs.html

Email Noriko Okamura at Chojukan at Hoshi onsen at: [email protected]
Email Osenkaku at Takaragawa Onsen at: [email protected]
Here are some photos of chojukan but these do not do it justice at all. I have many nicer ones but an not sure how to post them w/o giving everyone in the world access to them. http://www.japaneseguesthouses.com/d...a/chojukan.htm

Noriko may even remember me although it's almost two years ago now.

Also, Noriko at Chojukan will be very honest with you if you want to ask her about the weather that time of year.

But look into these places very soon. These are two of the most popular Onsen in all of Japan and since they are very reachable from Tokyo they are often booked.

If you are only going to stay at oneof these and want the more classic Ryokan experience you might go for Chojukan. The buildings here are stunning too. The kaiseki service in the room there was wonderful. You could always go to Takaragawa onsen as a day trip to see this beautiful outdoor onnsen at Takaragawa.

Hi, Staci -

> I was thinking of Koyasan myself, although I'm not sure how easy it is to get in and out each day. . . . Also, Koyasan has 50 different lodgings available - how does one know where to go?

I loved my overnight in Koyasan, but I'm not sure it would be a good place for a week's stay - it isn't the easiest place to reach. But I would recommend it for a night or maybe two. There are many temples in Koyasan, but not all of them accept guests who do not speak Japanese. You can find more information and book one through JapaneseGuestHouses.com

I had a great experience at Shojoshin-in (and I don't speak Japanese).

Enjoy!

Thank you all for your replies.

The two ryokan Paulo mentioned look absolutely amazing. I've been reading up on them and studying photos. I think one of them would be perfect for 5 - 7 days of relaxation after Tokyo.

I guess I can head south later on. I still think I'd like to spend 2 or 3 nights at Koya just to experience it.

Maybe after spending bigger money at the Onsens, we can save a bit by staying in small ordinary hotels in the Nagoya and Kyoto areas. If we stay in those cities, I suppose transportation to Ise and other Buddhist sites would be easier.

I want to thank everyone very much for their help. I will let you know how it turns out.

Staci

wish,

We stayed at Osenkaku this past April and will agree it is rather special place. You can read about it in my trip report if you like,you may pick up some tips

http://tinyurl.com/4cz6vl

Aloha!

Staci,

Firstly, what is your budget range? I think there are two distinctive types of ryokans: the luxury ones that offer one-off experiences with elaborate meals and hotsprings, and the other that is more of a budget accomodation/basic B&B-types.

I'd recommend choosing 2 places, 1 week each. I would LOVE to spend a week to 10 days in Kyoto, which has retained distinctive culture/ history better than other cities. Definitely a lot of day-trip opportunities, including Nara.

This is not really a ryokan, but I remember seeing a company where you can do a short-term lease of traditional town houses (Machiya). They are a few hundred year old buildings with interiors refurbished with all mod-cons.

I must say Nagoya doesn't rank that high for cultural attraction. I'm tempted to choose somewhere around Hiroshima, which serves as a good base for Miyajima, Kurashiki, Okayama.