Ryokan -- the Traditional Japanese Inn

I had thought to save my ryokan stay for Kyoto, the last leg of my tour of Japan, but I unwittingly reserved two nights in a traditional Japanese inn when I booked my stay in Nozawa Onsen through Hotels.com.

Walking into my tatami-floored room at Kawamotoya literally took my breath away--it is just so very zen--and of course I knew I was in the right place when I saw the spiral painting on the wall of the alcove.  I found sitting in this space to be some of the calmest sessions I had across Japan.

At first it was a little hard adjusting to the strict protocol of ryokan.  When I went down to the onsen, I wore the wrong robe.  Then when I went to breakfast the next day, I wore the right robe but my sash fell off while I went through the breakfast buffet. Fortunately, I'd worn linen pants and a jersey under the robe, so my wardrobe malfunction was not a total disaster.  I felt a little better when the waitress who picked up my sash tried to tie it back around me, then said, "I'm Korean.  I don't know how they tie this thing."

But it was the host and hostess of Kawamotoya  that made my stay such a delight.  They went out of their way to make it as fulfilling as possible, even offering a great deal of assistance when my camera went on the fritz.  And the food...  Breakfast on the second day was traditional Japanese, with locally caught trout and some of the best miso soup I've had here, all while sitting on the inn's streamside terrace.  Really a beautiful experience.