Ryokans...

So here I am in a beautiful ryokan in the Hirugami part of Achi village.

It is so beautiful.

Still very very hot and humid though!

Misaka Ryokan Entrance

You enter the ryokan and leave your shoes at the entrance, put on some slippers and head up to the room. I am sharing with two other workshop people who will become very good friends :)

In the room there is an entrance way to leave your slippers, and a toilet, basin and shower as well as a little fridge. Then a sliding door leads into the main room which is tatami mats, with 3 futons set out and a little table and low chairs, a luggage area (no tatami), some cupboards with our yukata, towels and bathstuff in. There's a TV, a very old phone (the ones that have a round dial - ie not a push button), and a window which looks down to where the festival is each night.

This is my bed!                                                         

My room

After sorting out my stuff, we check out the bathroom (ofuro). This is a communal area (gender separated), with basins and shelves to put your towel and clothes, then you enter into the shower area which is tiled and has a line of low level showers against the wall - each with taps and mirror and a range of bath soap, shampoo etc. You take a little stool and a bowl and sit on the stool and wash yourself. Once clean you can hop into the bath, or in this case there was a natural outdoor onsen which was delightful :) even in the heat it really helped - especially later in the week when our muscles were sore.

That evening we met up with some of the other workshop participants, and Art Lee who was running the course. It was really exciting to meet everyone, all from different parts of the world (Germany, Belgium, Holland, Australia, Canada, and me!). There were nine of us all together.

I had "zaru-soba" for dinner which is cold soba noodles served on a bamboo mat and eaten with yummy soy sauce based thin sauce.
Then a very good night sleep on my futon before it all begins.....