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ACCOMMODATIONISHIKAWASTAYINGATARYOKAN–ATRADITIONALJAPANESEINN–CANBEANINTIMIDATINGEXPERIENCEFORTHEFIRST-TIMER.WITHTHATINMIND,WEPRESENTTHISHANDYCUT-OUT-ANDKEEPGUIDETOSURVIVINGENJOYINGYOURSTAY.STEPONE:TAKEOFFYOURSHOES.IT’SPREFERABLEIFYOUCANDOTHISBYREVERSINGNEATLY,LEAVINGYOURSHOESFACINGTHEDOOR,THEREBYALLOWINGAQUICKGETAWAYWHENIT’STIMETOLEAVE.ITMIGHTNOTBETHEMOSTGRACEFULWAYOFENTERINGAROOM,BUTTHOSETATAMIMATSYOUSEEAHEADOFYOUAREEXPENSIVE,FRAGILEANDDIFFICULTTOCLEAN.DON’TSPENDTIMEPONDERINGTHEBENEFITSOFCARPETS,JUSTGETONWITHIT.STEPTWO:ONARRIVINGTOYOURROOMDONOTPANIC:NOONEHASSTOLENTHEFURNITURE.CANSTILLSEETHEFLAT-SCREENTVINTHECORNER?GOOD.THISISHOWRYOKANROOMSARESUPPOSEDTOBE.IT’SALLTODOWITHCLARITYOFTHEMIND,MINIMALISMANDZENBUDDHISM.WHATDOYOUMEANYOU’DLIKEACHAIR?THEFLOORISAGOOD6-7%MORECOMFORTABLETHANITLOOKS–GETDOWNTHERE!STEPTHREE:NEEDTOGOTOTHETOILET?OK,YOU’LLNEEDSPECIALFOOTWEARFORTHAT.IFYOU’REINANUPMARKETRYOKANLIKEARAYATOTOAN,JUSTTOTTERACROSSTHETATAMITOTHEAPPROPRIATEROOM,PUTYOURMAGICSLIPPERSONANDDOYOURBUSINESS.INALOWER-ENDPLACE?OK,HEADOUTTHEROOM,PUTTINGONYOURGENERALSLIPPERS,GOFINDTHETOILET,TRANSFERINTOTHETOILETSLIPPERS,DOYOUBUSINESS,PUTYOUROTHERSLIPPERSBACKONWHENYOULEAVE,WALKBACKTOTHEROOM,REMOVEANYANDALLFOOTWEARYOUSTILLHAVEON,GETBACKINSIDEANDTRYNOTTORELIEVEYOURSELFAGAINUNTILYOUCHECKOUT.STEPFOUR:IFYOU’REINTHELIKESOFARAYATOTOAN,TAKEAGOODLONGTIMETOAPPRECIATETHEARTWORK,THEPORCELAIN,THEARCHITECTUREANDTHECONSIDERATIONOFTHEAMBIANCE.IFYOU’REINABUDGETRYOKAN...MAYBEIT’SBESTTOSEEWHAT’SONTV.STEPFIVE:IT’STIMETOGOTAKEABATH:NOWYOUCANUNVEILYOURNAKEDNESSTOTOTALSTRANGERS!WHILETHEUPMARKETRYOKANSWILLSPAREYOUTHISINDIGNITYWITHAPRIVATEBATHINSIDETHEROOMS,BUDGETPLACESWON’TEVENGIVEYOUASHOWER.ERGO,YOUHAVETOHEADTOTHEPUBLICBIGBATHEVENTOHAVEAWASH.YOUSHOULDN’TATTEMPTTHATINNORMALCLOTHES,THOUGH–NO,BETTERTOGETCHANGED.YOU’LLFINDAYUKATA(TRADITIONALROBE)SOMEWHEREINTHEROOM,ALONGWITHAKINDOFCAPEIFIT’SCOLD,ANDPERHAPSAPAIROFLITTLESOCKSTHATHAVETHEBIGTOESCUTOUT.WE’RENOTEXACTLYSUREWHAT’STHEPROPERWAYTOWEARITALL,THOUGHWE’DGUESSFOLDINGTHELEFTLAPELOVERTHERIGHTONEISCORRECT.ANYWAY,ONCEIT’SALLON,IT’STIMETOGOFINDTHEBATHAND...GETUNDRESSEDAGAIN.COMPLETELYUNDRESSED,ANDPUTYOURCLOTHESINANEATWEEBASKET.FROMTHERE,FINDYOURSELFAGAIJIN’SGUIDETOTHERYOKAN10|SMILEOFJAPAN|TRAVELVOLUNTEERPROJECT
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