Ryokan question
 

I keep reading about overnight stays in a ryokan, but am wondering how realistic it is for us. Are the beds beds and tables low on the ground? If so, I'm concerned about my husband's ability to get up and down due to a bad knee.

Probably depends on the ryokan. I definitely wound up sleeping on the floor in some places in Japan. If that's not feasible, you need to check before booking.

There are some ryokan with western beds. Just have to ask when you make the reservation. Some places advertise this as a lot of Japanese visitors have the same agility problems as we do :)

I know I have been seeing a lot of those blue handicapped shower chairs in the onsen shower/bath areas recently so handicapped can use the bath areas without the hassle of the very low stools used everywhere. There are also many ryokan that will have a western style room or two in the place....mostly advertised but never hurts to ask. Contact Japanese Guest Houses and tell them what area you are looking to stay in and your requirements. They should be able to find you something.

http://www.japaneseguesthouses.com/

Aloha!

Hi -- we stayed in a ryokan in Miyajima and is was a fantastic experience. The beautiful traditional space, the wonderful Kaiseki meals, the exceptional baths -- just lovely. We stayed at Kurayado Iroha, which had a choice of Japanese and Western bedrooms. Our group of different aged family members had a combo of both. There was nothing different about the serenity of the rooms other than the fact that beds were either on the floor or standard western beds. If you want to try this experience, which I recommend, consider looking for ryokans with this option.

Happy planning.

Ditto hawaiiantraveler's advice -- work with japaneseguesthouses.com

Curious also, are traditional Japanese beds hard as a rock as we experienced in many of the northern Indian hotels?

We stayed at Beniya Mukayu at Yamashiro Onsen, between Kanazawa and Kyoto. About half of the beds there are western-style. That is what we chose - quite comfortable, not hard at all. Some ryokans only have "public" baths (with men and women separate) but Beniya Mukayu has private baths attached to the rooms. That being said, I wouldn't go out of my way to get to Yamashiro Onsen just to stay at Beniya Mukayu.

The traditional Japanese beds vary widely in their comfort. Some are soft yet supportive, others are hard. We slept on the floor on futons at the machiya house ew rented in Kanazawa and found them quite comfortable.

Western mattresses in ryokan are quite good. The more lux the ryokan the more lux the furniture just like in a hotel. Futon are the Japanese floor mattresses and are quite plush and comfortable. I have had some very comfortable futon in our travels which I found hard to leave behind.

When you check in to the ryokan make sure you take a little time and tell them of your physical limits and most important in my case your food likes and dislikes. Knowing is everything and most places will go out of their way to please you.

Aloha!

Regarding hard Asian beds, after months in the region with many hard beds, I found my lower back pain subsiding. Now I have an Indian bed at home with plywood under a futon and find my back now hurts after sleeping on western-style beds. It's a mystery.