Enjoy yourself in Shimonoseki
Enjoy your stay in a Ryokan
“Ryokan” is the name of traditional Japanese hotels. A
Ryokan is not only a place to stay, but is also a place to
experience Japanese culture and customs.
●In a Ryokan you take off your shoes at the
entrance to the building or the door to your
room.
●There is an attendant for each room who
serves your meals and prepares your bedroom
for you. Ask your room attendant for assistance
when you need it. You are not required to tip
your attendant.
●In a Japanese-style room, you usually sit on
‘zabuton’ [Japanese floor cushions] or ‘zaisu’
[Japanese floor chairs].
After checking into your room, please familiarize yourself with your ryokan’s emergency exits, storage locations for your valuables, meal times and place, and hours of operation of the baths. You may also want to
take down the phone number of the front desk. Your ryokan charges usually include dinner and breakfast,
but when you consume drinks and food in your room, you must pay for them when you check out.
Enjoy wearing your Yukata
Yukata is a cotton kimono that you wear when you go to bed
or when you want to relax. You can also wear your Yukata
when you take a short relaxing stroll around the ryokan.
Tanzen and Haori are coats to wear over your Yukata.
How to wear
Enjoy eating Japanese food
Usually in a ryokan, Japanese meals are served in a set course.
Many colorful foods are served in a variety of bowls. For breakfast it is often possible to choose Japanese or Western style.
Enjoy yourself in Shimonoseki
Enjoy yourself in hot springs
Some rooms in a ryokan, will have a bathroom,
but almost all ryokans have a large public bath.
Men and women’s baths are
usually separate. When you go
to the public bath remember to
take the bath towel from your
room with you. Before entering
the bathing area, take off all your
clothes and put them in a basket
or a locker. Sometimes, there
may be no shampoo or conditioner, so you may need to bring
those too.
One of the good things about the public bath is its
location, which is usually a special place in the
ryokan in which you can enjoy nice scenery. It is
also a great place to relax and refresh yourself.
Also, you are not
allowed to take a
towel with you
into the bath.
In the bath, you are not permitted
to wear a bathing suit or put a
towel around you.
How to take a bath
Take all your clothes off in the changing area.
Go into the bathing area and wash your body with soap.
Rinse the soap thoroughly from your body.
Enter the bath quietly; relax and refresh yourself.
Note
Please DO NOT wash your body
while standing as this might bother
other guests.
Washrooms
When you go to the washroom, please use the slippers that are specifically designated for the toilet (do not
mix toilet slippers with house slippers).
If you need to use the toilet when you are in town, ask at a convenience store. Usually in Japan, you can
use these washrooms for free.
Electronic Appliances
The voltage in Japan is 100 to 110v and 50 to 60Hz. Please be careful when you use your appliances.
Using public transit
Taking a taxi in Japan is more expensive than in China or South Korea. Usually, the initial charge is around
¥610 (1.5 km) and increases around ¥80 per every 330 m.
Sanden Kotsu is the only bus company in Shimonoseki. The cost is around ¥170 per 2 km.
When you get on the bus take a ticket from the ticket dispenser and sit in a vacant seat. (In order to get on and off the
bus with ease, it is recommended that you sit in the direction in which the bus is moving) As soon as the bus has
passed the stop just before your stop you should push the stop request button.When the bus gets to your destination,
look at the number on your ticket and find that number on the information panel at the front of the bus to determine
how much you should pay. Put your ticket together with your payment in the bus’s payment box when exiting the
bus.In order to make your exit as smooth as possible, please have your payment ready before you have to get off.
Some Water
Tap water in hotels, ryokan or other public facilities is safe to drink, but you should check before drinking tap
water in a public washroom.