It's not often that a traveller can set foot into an inn and feel as if they've stepped into their grandma's home. That's exactly the sense I got when we arrived at Kikokuso Ryokan (Inn) in Kyoto. The all-embracing warmth and genuine hospitality of the Yoshimura family is what really made the stay so special. It has to be personally experienced to be believed.
Here is Mayu Yoshimura, the daughter-in-law, preparing green tea for us on our arrival at the inn. She was very friendly and chatty, eager to find out about our lives in Singapore. For some reason, she thought I was a nurse!
The ryokan has been in the family for four generations and the current owners are preserving the 140-year tradition of caring for their guests with great pride. Every meal served, every bed made, every bath drawn, every slipper laid out is done with the guest's sole comfort in mind. And every act is accompanied with a gentle smile and respectful bow. It tells a tale of timeless grace.
Mrs Yoshimura is a very special lady. Her demeanour and manners are from a bygone era and she is always immaculately dressed and groomed. Her friendliness more than compensated for the halting English conversations we had. Here she is showing us the book where she is featured as one of the leading lady innkeepers in Kyoto.
Here is Mayu Yoshimura, the daughter-in-law, preparing green tea for us on our arrival at the inn. She was very friendly and chatty, eager to find out about our lives in Singapore. For some reason, she thought I was a nurse!
Entrance to the ryokan
Lovely Japanese garden viewed from the dining room
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