Reposting this to include Japan in the title and correct my typo!

I have just booked a night at the Iwaso ryokan in Miyajima for my husband, daughter and her friend. Although my daughter and her friend will be happy to enjoy the same sex baths, my husband and I are not really interested. My questions are: Do we risk offending the staff by not using the baths? and How do we best communicate our wishes to them? Thanks. Joanne

Simple, you are not obliged to use the common bath. Take a room with a private bath (not all has at Iwaso) so that you can clean yourself in private.

I stayed at Iwaso ryokan a year ago. IIRC, there's a bath in each room. The public bath is in the basement and you will not offend the staff by not using it.

I stayed there recently.

The communal baths are actually seperate for male and female so wont be a problem.

Great place and i highly reccomend the hike to the peak and cable car ride.

And there is no need in communicating to them your wishes to not use the bath.

I don't know about Iwaso, but other places would allow you to reserve the bath for your private use (e.g. you and your husband only).

Here are a couple of links you might be interested in:

http://www.japaneseguesthouses.com/a...an/customs.htm

http://www.japaneseguesthouses.com/a...yokan/stay.htm