No I am just a sarcastic git........, thank goodness I know that most here can string more than a few words together. Don't feel so sad, the Korean Government now wants criminal records and DNA!

For two?

I cannot think of one Ryokan within Tokyo or Kyoto where you would get a great Ryokan experience for �20,000, never mind �10,000 (Ryokan prices are generally per person)

The only solid suggestion I have for you is to go to Kurama Onsen on the outskirts of Kyoto. It's just 30 minutes and a �410 train trip from Demachiyanagi station in Kyoto - so no need to compromise your itinerary.

Or reduce your hotel budget for other nights within Tokyo and Kyoto and splurge out on one of Kyoto's better establishments - like the the Hiiragiya or Tawaraya.

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You could go to Andon Ryokan or Kimi Ryokan in Tokyo if you just want the experience of sleeping on a futon or stay at the Motonago (no curfew) or Three Sisters Inn in Kyoto (which has a curfew)- the last two would probably offer perfectly decent experiences and a service level comparable to a good Minshuku (Japanese style Bed and Breakfasts - although dinner is often served at Minshuku) rather than a good Ryokan.

But what I would certainly do in your place is allow one late afternoon/early evening on your itinerary and go stay at one of Hokkaido's extraordinary Onsen Ryokan instead.

For onsen or bath, clean yourself first before entering the pool. Don't wear a bathing suit, bath robe or a towel into the pool unless you are a lady. Use a loin cloth just to cover the essential parts. After you enter the pool, the easy place to keep your own loin cloth is fold it neatly and place it on top of your head.

Wear the belt over the yukata below your belly for guys and below the bosom for ladies.

Ladies should certainly not be wearing bathing suits, bath robes or towels in the pool/bath either.

The ONLY exception might be a bath where there is no gender segregation. But you would need to go to some obscure part of the country for that. Of the few baths in and around Tokyo for mixed genders both sexes are required to wear some kind of bathing costume to use them.

And no need to wear a yukata style robe Regency style - wrapping it around your waist is fine.

It is highly unlikely you will be given a real yukata with half width obi belt to wear - this belt (hanhaba obi) does go up to below the bust.

I agree that $200 is too limited a budget. I'd find it depressing staying in a Ryokan in that category. The point (for me) of staying in a Ryokan is spending time there and enjoying the whole experience, including dinner. I'd rather spend $100 in a business hotel and spend more time outside the hotel.

I will say that there are decent Ryokan in Kyoto that are less expensive (though not as nice) as the Hiiragiya or Tawaraya. You just won't come close for $100/person. You might have a better shot with someplace in Hokkaido since you're going to be there anyway.

For a typical onsen, the following are foolproof beginner steps that should apply to any onsen:
1) In your room, put on the provided yukata (bathrobe) and bring your washcloth (also provided in room)
2) Walk in the provided slippers from room to the onsen
3) Indoor onsens are typically segregated by gender. You will have to find out the right door to go in. The sliding entry doors will have a noren (like a half-curtain) with the kanji symbols specifying gender. Sometimes the noren will be colored blue for men and red for women but not always. My advice: follow other guests' and see where they go.
4) As you enter the sliding doors, you take off your slippers. Make sure you know where you put them - sometimes a cubby hole is provided, sometimes a tag is provided etc. You then go barefoot into the "dry area".
5) An onsen is typically separated into a "dry area" - covered with tatami - and a the bath area itself. The "dry area" is for you to disrobe, store your clothes in the provided lockers. There will be basins for you to shave (you do not shave in the bath area), hairdryers etc.
6) Once you disrobe, all you will have is wash cloth (not forgetting your locker key). You can use the wash cloth to preserve some modesty. It is impolite to stare at other people's state of undress.
7) Go through the sliding doors for the bath area and along the wall, you'll see showers. Grab a stool and a bucket and take a shower sitting down. Lots of onsens have unique toiletries (e.g. horse-oil, carbon soap etc).
8) Once done with shower, you then soak in bath. The washcloth you can leave on your head but what I usually do is I take the small basin along with me - I use it to pour some of the bath water on me first to let my body acclimatize to the heat) - I then put the washcloth inside the basin and set it right next to the bath.
9) The bath will be hot (or ice cold depending on the type) - some prefer to ease themselves in; others prefer to go in all at once - whatever works for you. Usually I soak inside the bath for 10-15 minutes - any more, I'd be sweating too much afterwards.
10) Reverse the process above for exit. I shower just with water after the bath and then change back into my yukata.

Really? I don't know.

They would have a riot with a gaigin in the ladies side, no.

Not a riot, perhaps a lady in her 40s would just go up to the offender and pointedly make it clear in sign language that what she was doing just wasn't acceptable. More like acute embarrassment for all concerned.

It would be unfortunate if someone had to do this because a female visitor looked at your post and thought it was fine to wear a bathing suit in an onsen.

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Short snappy advice from the Tokyo Union of Bathhouses
http://www.1010.or.jp/english/manner.html

Not at all in the OPs budget, but much below the Hiiragiya/Tawaraya and still offering an excellent ryokan experience is the Seikoro. Their website quotes rates as low as 25000 per person in low season, but emailing them would likely be able to secure a better rate. Also, it would allow a splurge night but not one in the same level as the Hiiragiya/Tawaraya.

Link: http://www.seikoro.com/top-e.htm

It is traditional (tea, bath (private or public), dinner, breakfast). It is not as fancy as the more expensive ones (i.e. not as many antiques, food not served on such impressive dishes and not quite as elaborate), but it is much more reasonable. When I want to stay for a while in Kyoto and don't want to shell out 1500-2000USD (we're 5 ppl) a night for the Hiiragiya/Tawaraya, I stay here. Also, they'll allow you to stay here and not take meals if you want to stay in a ryokan but eat elsewhere. Their room rates are usually reasonable and to "add on" meals it's 10000 yen for dinner and 2500 for breakfast. Reasonable as the food is very good, just not quite as elaborate as the fancier places.

Also, I'm not sure what the prices are as I've never stayed there nor even been inside it, but is the Hiiragiya Annex reasonably priced? My guess is it's still quite expensive, but I really don't know.

Another trustworthy source of suggestions for Kyoto ryokan would be Diane Durston.

Amongst her recommendations are:

North
Heihachi-jaya (from ¥25k per person)
Kikaku-tei (no idea about how you'd stay here - nearest place to what she described seems to be this: http://www.komyoji.com/ruri/index.html)

Centre
Kinmata

East
*Kiyomizu Sanso (small, atmospheric and very reasonably priced)
*3 Sisters Inn Annex
(*note that Ms Durston indexes both of these places as Inns not as Ryokan)

Shiraume (no curfew, from ¥18k to ¥35k per person including dinner or ¥13k to ¥25 on a Bed & Breakfast basis)
Tamahan (from ¥25k per person)

Taken from her excellent book - Old Kyoto

I started this thread - Ryokans for Dummies - and found the responses VERY useful !


http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/showt...hlight=ryokans

The parts in bold are my emphasis. You should do fine in the onsens in Tokyo and area.

Sanosuke!

Has anyone ever stayed at or have any information on Ando Ryokan in Tokyo? Just reserved a few nights there, and would like some feedback / reviews. Thanks!

Ando Ryokan http://www.andon.co.jp/