The minshuku 民宿
Closer to the Japanese
There are several types of accommodation for visitors to Japan. Beyond hotels and folk accommodations such as capsule hotels , lovehotels or cyber-cafes, the traveler will be able to find more traditional accommodation formulas. The ryokan , high-priced, comfortable inns, rub shoulders with the minshuku , these Japanese-style bed & breakfasts.
Guesthouses in the Land of the Rising Sun
Minshuku are the equivalent of French bed and breakfasts. A Japanese family arranges its accommodation in order to be able to accommodate a few travelers in the rooms of the house. She takes care of reception, reservations and the various services that can be offered. Breakfasts and dinners can be included in the price, which allows the holding of common meals. The dishes offered are generally made from fairly simple family recipes, using seasonal ingredients: ideal for immersion in the local culture! Minshuku are generally located near tourist spots such as onsen or mountain ski resorts.
Gassho-zukuri houses in the village of Shirakawago, near Takayama
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They can also be found in more remote places in the country (farming villages, fishing villages, etc.). They are thus found in the villages of Shirakawago and Gokayama, these famous villages of Gifu prefecture where gasshô-zukuri - houses with sloping roofs - survive, some of which have been converted into minshuku .
Read also: What is the difference between ryokan and minshuku ?
A traditional Japan at your fingertips
An overnight stay inside a minshuku will cost you on average between 6,500 and 9,000 yen (between 50 and 70 euros) . live, eat and sleep on the ground. Futons are often stored in the closets of the room, the traveler having to install his bed alone. He will also have to tidy up his bed himself in the morning. The rooms are simple, furnished with a coffee table, a small television, a small water heater and sometimes towels.
See: The traditional Japanese house
The interior of a minshuku
shirakawago
It is quite rare for minshuku to provide a yukata , whereas rooms may be shared in some hostels. It should also be noted that some old buildings do not have locks on the bedroom doors.
Some parts of the minshuku are common. So if it will be possible for the traveler to take a traditional Japanese bath, he will have to share the place with other visitors. Some may find the lack of intimacy complicated to live with, but let yourself be taken in by this atmosphere of an ancient Japan that is still opening its doors!
To discover : Ofuro, the bath in Japan
Some parts of the minshuku are common. So if it will be possible for the traveler to take a traditional Japanese bath , he will have to share the place with other visitors. Some may find the lack of intimacy complicated to live with, but let yourself be taken in by this atmosphere of an ancient Japan that is still opening its doors!
To discover : Ofuro, the bath in Japan
Outdoor Japanese bath (rotenburo)
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