Kyoto: Capsule Ryokan and Station

We were anxious to get back to our room to change into dry socks. We took a crowded city bus and had to stand up. (Surprisingly, this was probably the most crowded transportation situation we faced during the entire week). D and I were talking to each other (can't remember about what) when a younger guy asked where we were from and whether we had come to Japan before or after the earthquake. Turns out that he was Chinese, but a university student in Japan studying engineering. He spoke English very well and we ended up talking all the way back to our ryokan. He asked us our names so he could look us up on Facebook. When we asked his name, he responded, "My Chinese, Japanese or English name?" Haha. Anyway, Bell, if you're out there, hope you're enjoying reading about our Japan experience.

I first read about the Capsule Ryokan on TripAdvisor. It was the highest rated hotel in Kyoto! While it is certainly not for everyone, it met our needs just fine. However, if the kids had come with us, it would be a different story.

First of all, it was tiny. The room was literally the size of the bed plus one foot on the side and just enough room for the shower and toilet.

This was actually the larger-sized ryokan style room. They also have capsules, which are basically enclosed beds. I wonder whether I would feel claustrophobic in one of those.

We had to marvel at the efficiency of the use of space, though.

Under-bed storage.

Another reason why this place would not be for everyone...the shower was literally at the foot of the bed.

I liked the high-tech look of it. The toilet was also cool. The cover automatically opens when you open the door and closes when you shut the door. It also had all of the heating elements/sprays/jets/flushing noises that you could ever want.

The room had a wall-mounted t.v.

It really made us think about how little room one actually needs and how much we live in excess.

For dinner we walked to Kyoto Station, which has tons of shopping and restaurants.


At the top of these stairs is a "Ramen-town" with a bunch of ramen restaurants that represent different parts of Japan.


It was difficult to distinguish between the different restaurants, so we just chose one that looked fairly busy/popular. We bought our tickets at the vending machine outside (with some difficulty) and enjoyed steaming bowls of ramen. Interestingly, it had a more beefy, rather than porky flavor.


We were also excited to see that there was a Mister Donut at the station.

Love this kawaii ad campaign!

Strawberry and blueberry. The blueberry was much better.

There are so many varieties, I wanted to try them all. After being there a couple of times, I would definitely recommend the Pon de Ring and anything with a filling or cream. The plain ones were a bit too plain.

Afterward we walked to the Kyoto Granvia Hotel, which is connected to the station. We went to the top floor where there is a nice view (for free).


Finally, we did a little shopping. D bought some omiyage for the people at work (rolled green tea cookies). I was curious about these won-ton shaped mochi treats. I picked sakura, which was interesting. However, I think I probably would have enjoyed the chocolate better.

Too bad they didn't have a variety pack!

So, that was our exciting Kyoto night-time adventure. We watched a little Japanese t.v. and were ready for our last day.