The Cocolo Chronicles

Hands & Materials

The people who make things, and the gesture behind the object. Skill that does not announce itself.

Discovering Japanese ryokans

Published in Hands & Materials on 14 February 2025

If you want your trip to Japan to include something closer to the country itself, a night in a ryokan — a traditional inn — belongs in the plan. Staying in a ryokan is a way into Japanese tradition and hospitality rather than simply a bed for the night. Whether you have travelled in Japan many times or none, it is worth doing at least once. You will also appreciate the hot baths, which loosen the muscles a trip tends to punish. These places offer more than accommodation: they open onto Japanese daily life and

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The minshuku

Published in Hands & Materials on 15 January 2025

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. The minshuku is the Japanese equivalent of a guesthouse or an inn: a friendly, affordable alternative for your stay. A

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