Staying at a ryokan is much more than just stopping off at a Japanese hotel. Rather it is a journey in time where the visitor is a quest in old Japan.

Thus a ryokan is a combination of Japanese art and culture of bygone centuries. Here we find: architecture, painting, color woodblock printing, ceramics, lacquer work, ike-bana, shõ and, furthermore, the everyday untensils, the tradirional clothing and the exquisite cuisine. Moreover the reader will learn about the traditional rituals, ceremonies and pleasures such as The Way of Tea, nõ theater, the martial arts, seasonal festivals, The Way of the Samurai as well as legends and customs. This publication gives the reader an insight into all this variety.