On entering a Japanese home/accommodation, please take your shoes off just as you walk in the entrance and use slippers if provided. Inside a home/accommodation when entering a room with tatami floor (straw mat floor) take off your slippers as you only walk on a tatami floor in socks or bare feet.
You will also find special toilet slippers for exclusive use inside the toilet/washroom. Leave your usual slippers outside the door while using the toilet/washroom.
There are many types of accommodation in Japan, both Western and Japanese style. Ryokans, Western Style Hotels, Dormitories, Hostels, Temple Lodgings and Capsule Hotels are some of the other accommodation options available.
Ryokan are Japanese style inns. They come in all sizes and are found across Japan. A stay at a ryokan is highly recommended as it offers the opportunity to experience a traditional Japanese atmosphere. Guests stay in Japanese style rooms with tatami floor a low table and roll out a futon for sleeping.
Except in case of inexpensive ryokan, dinner and breakfast are included in the overnight stay. At the better ryokan, meals are served in the guest room, while common dining rooms are to be used elsewhere. Both meals are typically Japanese style and often feature regional specialties.
Mainly targeting a male clientele in need for nothing but a bed, capsule hotels accommodate their guests in small capsules. A television, a shared bathroom and coin lockers are usually provided
It is possible for tourists to stay overnight at some Buddhist temple lodgings (shukubo). One of the best places to experience a night at a temple is Mount Koya, where you can try shojin ryori, the vegetarian cuisine of the monks and participate in morning prayers.
