If you love sushi, minimalism and almost maniacal cleanliness, sooner or later you will decide to visit the wonderful country of the Rising Sun and treat yourself to a holiday immersed in a culture that is extremely fascinating but certainly very different from our own.
The invitation is to forget your origins and customs and to fully embrace your host country in all its forms in order to savour, even if only for a short time, the Japanese spirit and way of life.
Sleeping in ryokans is certainly an experience in which to immerse oneself with the curiosity of discovering rituals and customs far removed from our paradigms but at the same time fascinating and intriguing. The ryokan, probably the oldest form of hotel in the world, date back as far as the 7th century and are mostly simple constructions, made of wood, with sliding walls made of rice paper and floors covered with woven straw tatami, slightly soft, cosy, that seems to give way just under the weight of your body, gracefully, as you pass by. You enter
Strictly barefoot, wearing the geta, slippers or traditional wooden sandals, and in no time, you assimilate the gesture of bowing, to imitate the innate politeness and courtesy of the Japanese whenever they offer or show you something.
The warm-toned rooms, thanks to the bamboo and rice paper walls, are essentially empty: everything will appear or disappear in the blink of an eye as soon as you leave the room.
The ideal time to reach the ryokan is around 4pm in order to fully appreciate its slow pace. Once settled in your room, which will materialise with the movement of some sliding walls, you will be offered a yukata, i.e. a cotton kimono to be worn strictly with the left flap over the right one and not the other way round, used instead for the dead, in order to access the onsen and its relaxing ritual.
The rule is to first soap up in the shower, which in Japan is done while sitting on a stool, and then soak for a not-too-long period, considering the high temperature of the water, in a cosy ceramic or wooden tub, where you will feel enveloped by a relaxing warmth. How long you stay depends on your love of high temperatures, but the longer you can linger, the more benefits will follow. Once you have abandoned every single tension and contracture in the boiling water of the tub, with an act of samurai courage you will literally throw yourself under the cold shower, kindly opened by a smiling face of the facility and the miracle will be accomplished: a burst of energy will flow through your veins and you will be ready to face a pleasant evening, even if you have had a busy day. When you return to your room, two futons will have appeared out of nowhere, lying on the floor, which if at first sight will horrify you, will convince you to change your lifestyle when you wake up. In fact, you will feel rested and relaxed like you have never felt before. On waking up, in the
By the time you leave the room to go to the toilet, which is always communal, the futons will magically disappear and you will find a low table waiting for you to sit on your heels, for the more daring, or in the classic cross-legged position. Small saucers and small bowls will begin to appear on the shimmering black table, small but meticulously detailed, brightly coloured and invitingly scented.
Forget the usual croissant and cappuccino for a moment and let yourself be awakened by this riot of sweet-and-sour, high-protein but light flavours: miso soup, white rice, grilled fish, seaweed, fresh tofu, mushrooms, fermented soya, eggs and other dishes, varying according to the season, all enhanced by the renowned tea with its unusual but enjoyable aromas.
Strong but pleasant flavours that will give you a new energy charge that will last for most of the day, making you feel vital and energetic but not weighed down. Staying in a ryokan is an opportunity to fully experience the omotenashi, l'Japanese hospitality indeed, customised, for savouring a cultural experience memorable!
English 
Italian