A Short Note on Japanese Sleeping Arrangements

Traditional Japanese sleeping arrangements are not like we think of them in the West. I mentioned tatami mats before, but let me explain. They are 3' x 6' mats made of rice fibers woven together that rest on the floor in lieu of carpet or hardwood. You measure rooms in traditional Japanese buildings by the number of mats.

So, in Japan, you can stay at a hotel or a hostel, but you can also stay at a ryokan (ree-oh-con). A ryokan is a traditional-style inn, meaning, you will be sleeping on a palette on the tatami mat lined floor. And this is how we've been staying all but one night since we got here. It's nice actually because you fold your bed up in the morning, and you have all this space!

This is our room last night in Ise (those are the mats on the floor and the palettes folded up) taken from the doorway:

The Japanese have a different standard for small. The normal-sized room here makes a normal room in America look like a banquet hall.