When people plan a trip, they often treat where they sleep as an afterthought. It can be the part that stays with you.
This article covers a traditional form of Japanese lodging: the minshuku. These are singular places to stay, and they change the shape of a trip.
If you are after something more immersive and closer to local life while travelling in Japan, a minshuku may be exactly right for you.
What they are, and what sets them apart
The minshuku is the Japanese equivalent of a guesthouse or an inn: a friendly, affordable alternative for your stay.
A night runs between 6500 yen and 10 000 yen (40 to 70 euros), depending on where it is and on whether meals are included.
Some minshuku are spartan, others more comfortable. They are family-run places, so each one has its own character and its own quirks. With a bit of luck you may land in a minshuku where you cook alongside your hosts, over a Japanese hotpot or a barbecue.
The meals
If you are staying in a minshuku, we would take the option with breakfast and dinner included.
First, because although there are some in towns, the large majority of minshuku are in the countryside, where you will not have many other places to eat.
And second, because the meals are cooked by the hosts, which means Japanese home cooking as it is actually made.
Choosing one
If you decide to stay in a minshuku, keep the following in mind:
- Minshuku are generally small and have a limited number of rooms
- Minshuku are often more spartan than hotels, with shared toilets and bathrooms
- In a minshuku you usually sleep in a traditional Japanese room: a tatami floor with a low table on it and a futon. If you are lucky there may be a television too.
Some minshuku can be booked through online booking sites, but most are not especially modern and want to be contacted by fax (yes, even in 2024) or by telephone.
Cocolo Travel is a local travel agency specialising in tailor-made trips to Japan. We take on the whole business of building your trip, so get in touch for more detail or if you need a hand booking your minshuku.
In closing
The minshuku is a form of lodging we recommend to anyone who wants to get properly into Japanese culture and meet people who live there, and who does not mind giving up a little comfort to do it.
If you are putting together a trip to Japan and want to know about other characteristic places to stay, you may also be interested in our article on Japanese ryokan.
