- Staying at a Ryokan
- Check-in
- Tipping
- Rooms
- Amenities
- Toilets
- Baths
- Dinner
- Exploring the Area
- Breakfast
- Checking out
- Quick Reference
Dinner
Depending on the inn, meals will most likely be served at a pre-determined time in the guest’s room or in a communal dining room. Meals will be served only during the times specified at check-in. If you plan to skip a meal, let the okami know ahead of time so they can prepare accordingly.
The quality of the food will depend on the class of the ryokan, though even some lower-end ryokan are well known for their cuisine.
If dinner is served in your room, it will be served to you as you’re seated on the floor. Sitting cross-legged is acceptable during dinner even though traditionally the Japanese used to sit on their heels in seiza style, a posture that many find to be excruciatingly painful.
At the beginning of the meal, wipe your hands with the warm towel or oshibori that is on the table. If your server hands you an oshibori, accept it with both hands. Fold it and place it on the table when you’re finished. It is not polite to use the oshibori to wipe your face, nor should the oshibori be used to wipe up any spills during the meal. If you need assistance, ask your server to provide a fukin cloth or use a tissue.
Traditional Japanese kaiseki food has subtle flavors and comes in up to twelve exquisite courses. Most ingredients are seasonal and specific to the region. Many ryokan take pride in the fact that they serve local cuisine.
While eating the meal, be aware of chopstick etiquette. Hold the upper chopstick between your thumb and first two fingers. The bottom chopstick is an anchor and shouldn’t move while eating. When bringing food to your mouth, make sure to keep your left hand underneath the food to keep from dropping it.
Chopsticks should not be placed directly on the table, nor should you stick them upright in your food. Place them together on the chopstick rests provided or across the top of your bowl. Never pass food to someone else’s chopsticks directly with your own chopsticks. (This custom is reserved for funerals following cremation!) Don’t skewer your food with one chopstick to pick it up or pull your bowl toward you with the chopsticks. Don’t let the chopsticks hover over the food, just dig in and enjoy.
Your meal will be served in an assortment of dishes and bowls. It is customary to pick up and hold your soup and rice bowls in your left hand while eating. Remove the lid and drink the soup directly from the bowl by slurping it. Do not be afraid to make noise, this is proper etiquette and will help cool down the soup as you eat it. Once you’ve finished, put the lid back on the bowl and move on to the next course.
When raw fish or sashimi is served, mix a small portion of the green wasabi paste in soy sauce in the small plate provided, dip the piece of sashimi and enjoy. The sashimi is often eaten with sliced daikon radish and shiso herb garnish to enhance the flavor. Some sashimi may be so fresh that it might still be moving when it is served to you. This might surprise you, particularly if it’s octopus!
Once you’ve finished eating grilled fish on one side, flip it over, separate the fish from the backbone and eat the remaining portion.
There are different dipping sauces for each course. Do not pour the sauce on your food directly. It is also bad etiquette to pour soy sauce on your rice. If you would like some seasoning for the rice, ask for furikake flakes or some nori seaweed.
Pickles and ginger are also provided to cleanse the palate between courses. If you would like a second helping of rice (okawari), just ask.
When drinking beer or sake in Japan it is customary to pour for everyone else at the table. Use both of your hands when pouring and do not fill your own glass. Someone else will pour for you. Hold your own glass with both hands as it is filled. It is polite to make a toast and say kanpai before starting to drink. Because the glasses are small, you may have to spend the majority of the meal at attention filling everyone’s glass before they get empty, but that’s part of the fun!
Alcohol is NOT included in the price of your meal and will be added to your tab at checkout. Put all of the empty bottles and cans in one place when you’re finished.
The okami will come and clean everything up at the end of the meal and serve tea. It is not necessary to stack up the dishes and plates.