{"id":29655,"date":"2017-08-28T08:00:18","date_gmt":"2017-08-27T23:00:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/voyapon.com\/?p=29655"},"modified":"2024-11-25T22:22:45","modified_gmt":"2024-11-25T13:22:45","slug":"stay-in-wakasa-takahama","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/voyapon.com\/stay-in-wakasa-takahama\/","title":{"rendered":"Accommodation in Wakasa Takahama: Ryokan, Hotel, Villa or Minshuku?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Sponsored by Wakasa Takahama Tourism Association<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

We’ve all heard of hotels and villas, and many of us have heard of ryokans,<\/strong> but what about minshukus? <\/strong>Well, if you consider a ryokan to be a Japanese-style hotel, then a minshuku is similar to a Japanese-style villa.
\nRun by families, and offering less rooms than most ryokans and hotels, staying in a minshuku<\/strong> is more of an intimate affair and provides a “homelier” feel. This type of accommodation is particularly popular in rural areas,<\/strong> and even<\/em> more popular near the coast.<\/strong> And so, an ideal area for a minshuku is in Wakasa Takahama,<\/strong> a peaceful<\/strong> seaside<\/strong> town<\/strong> near Kyoto, <\/strong>which is where I will be reviewing<\/strong> two great minshukus<\/strong>: Tokiokaso<\/a><\/strong> and Wakashiso,<\/strong> as well as what to bring,<\/strong> general etiquette<\/strong> and what<\/strong> to expect.<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"Minshuku:<\/a>

Minshuku: Wakashisou<\/p><\/div>\n

Etitquette at Minshuku<\/h2>\n

General<\/h3>\n

One of the biggest customs which shouldn’t be broken is – no shoes inside<\/strong> (except for slippers of course)! Outdoor shoes should be kept at the entrance. Both wakashiso and tokiokaso had slippers available for guests to use indoors, as well as clogs for outside. If your feet are on the larger side, you may find that your heels hang off the edge of the shoe – quite funny!<\/p>\n

Inside the rooms noise<\/strong> should be kept<\/strong> to a minimum. Both minshukus had beautiful shoji<\/strong> (sliding doors), however they are not always the best at preventing noise. So it’s always best to be courteous and keep the TV on a lower volume. There was no official “lights-out” time at either minshuku, but as there were many young children staying there so people tended to rise and sleep early, quietening-down between 21:00-22:00, and waking up around 06:00.<\/p>\n

\"Tokiokaso:<\/a>

Tokiokaso: Shoji Doors in Hallway<\/p><\/div>\n

\"Wakashisou:<\/a>

Wakashisou: Shoji Doors in Hallway<\/p><\/div>\n

Bathing<\/h3>\n

As with ryokans, most minshukus have a public bathing area<\/strong> – gender separated of course! That being said, many minshukus, including both Wakashiso and Tokiokaso allowed you to maintain your privacy by having a lock and “do not disturb” sign respectively.<\/p>\n

The bathing area usually consists of multiple showers,<\/strong> wash bowls, a stool and a bath.<\/strong><\/p>\n

An obvious etiquette<\/strong> for bathing publicly is to clean your bathing area both before and after use (hosing down with hot water). When english is not shown, female-only areas are indicated by ‘\u5973’ and male-only areas are indicated by ‘\u7537’.<\/p>\n

Eating<\/h3>\n

Eating in the restaurant<\/strong> area at the minshuku is just like eating at any other restaurant in Japan! The general rules apply, such as don’t pass food between chopsticks, don’t keep chopsticks sticking out of your food etc.<\/p>\n

At Wakashiso, the seating style was traditional Japanese<\/strong> (low table and tatami<\/strong> flooring) so you should cross your legs under the table (or just sit comfortably if not possible). Tokiokaso, on the other hand, had Western-style<\/strong> seating in the restaurant area, and then Japanese-style<\/strong> outside in the BBQ<\/strong> area.<\/p>\n

\"Tokiokaso:<\/a>

Tokiokaso: Outside Seating<\/p><\/div>\n

The Rooms<\/h3>\n

The rooms<\/strong> within both Wakashisou and Tokiokaso were similar. They comprised of: tatami<\/strong> flooring, futons<\/strong>, a low table, television, storage areas and a heating\/cooling unit. These minshuku were also clearly set-up with beach visitors in mind, because both offered outdoor taps and drying areas for clothes. Being located in a residential<\/strong> area, the rooms were quiet with only the sound of crickets chirping around.<\/p>\n

\"Tokiokaso:

Tokiokaso: Guest Room<\/p><\/div>\n

\"Wakshisou:<\/a>

Wakashisou: Guest Room<\/p><\/div>\n

Local Cuisine in the Minshuku Restaurants<\/h2>\n
\"Takahama:<\/a>

Takahama: Residential Area<\/p><\/div>\n

The Takahama area is renowned for its famous mackerel<\/strong> and fugu blowfish<\/strong> – meaning that you can enjoy some extremely tasty<\/strong> (and much cheaper) seafood<\/strong> here! Interestingly, the oldest account of sushi<\/strong> is even linked to the Takahama area, and a local delicacy<\/strong> here is mackerel sushi!<\/p>\n

At ryokans and minshuku alike, dinner<\/strong> is usually served early – around 18:00-19:30, and breakfast is usually served between 08:00-09:00. However, at both Wakashiso and Tokiokaso we were asked when we would like to eat which was so<\/strong><\/em> convenient<\/strong> because we had fixed plans over the next few days.<\/p>\n

Dinner<\/h3>\n

The seafood<\/strong> available at both minshukus was extraordinary. Fresh,<\/strong> light and tasty! Wakashishou’s dinner was focused around a lightly battered blowfish,<\/strong> whereas the star of the show at Tokiokaso, was the sashimi seafood<\/strong> platter! Honestly, we did struggle to finish the meal at Tokiokaso but I think that was because we had eaten quite a substantial lunch!<\/p>\n

One thing that that I found noticeably different about eating dinner in a minshuku restaurant, in comparison to a ryokan, is that the atmosphere<\/strong> during dinner was much more relaxed.<\/strong> Dinner is served – with self-serve drinks and rice – and then you are left to enjoy your meal undisturbed. I prefer to help myself and feel at home somewhere, so I actually prefer this vibe.<\/p>\n

\"Tokiokaso:<\/a>

Tokiokaso: Seafood Dinner<\/p><\/div>\n

\"Tokiokaso:<\/a>

Tokiokaso: Seafood Platter<\/p><\/div>\n

\"Wakashisou:<\/a>

Wakashisou: Blowfish Dinner<\/p><\/div>\n

\"Wakashisou<\/a>

Wakashisou Dessert: Watermelon is an Expensive Treat in Japan!<\/p><\/div>\n

Breakfast<\/h3>\n

Both ryokans served a traditional Japanese breakfast of salmon,<\/strong> sticky rice<\/strong> with nori<\/strong> (seaweed), ocha<\/strong> (tea) and tamago<\/strong> (egg), fresh vegetables<\/strong> and miso soup. The breakfasts were both pretty filling, especially after the huge dinners the night before!<\/p>\n

\"Breakfast<\/a>

Tokiokaso: Breakfast<\/p><\/div>\n

\"Wakashisou:<\/a>

Wakashisou: Breakfast<\/p><\/div>\n

What to Bring<\/h2>\n

Here are a few of my specific recommendations:<\/p>\n