During our few days in Tokyo together with family from Sweden we had the chance to experience two very different sides of Japan – big Tokyo attractions and a small countryside ryokan. For our son, experiencing Tokyo Sky Tree and Disney Land for the first time was as exciting as anything could be. And doing things together with Swedish cousins and grandparents only made the whole experience even more precious. There was even a Star Wars attraction at Disney Land that we have been reliving at home ever since, during afternoon play time and through bedtime stories.
For my part, if I had to choose between Disney Land and a traditional Japanese inn, I would choose the ryokan and its hot springs, onsen, every time. For me, an overnight trip to a ryokan has become the quintessential experience of enjoying the magic of Japan. Often embedded in beautiful nature, natural hot baths outside that are even more enjoyable when it is raining, Japanese delicacies that I never get to eat elsewhere, rooms with tatami mats and screen doors, the smell of wood, the yukata (casual summer kimono) you wear while at the ryokan – all add up to make the stay as relaxing a refuge from every day busy life as can be.
Next stop on our spring break with family is spring in Fukuoka. More on that next time.
