Japan is a unique country and certainly unlike any destination I have travelled to before. Although comparisons are often made with the western world, it terms of culture it really couldn’t be any more different.For me it was the little things that made Japan so intriguing from their amazingly efficient public transport system complete with ticket collectors who bowed in politeness as entering and leaving the carriage to meal times at a local restaurant with the vast number of cuisine types on offer.

One experience unique to Japan is a stay in a ryokan, a traditional Japanese inn or hotel. My ryokan experience began typically, arriving mid afternoon and once settled in to my simple Japanese style room, I headed to the onsen. Onsen, or hot spring, bathing is very much a part of Japanese culture and is probably the quintessential Japanese experience. As one of the most geologically active places on earth, Japan is blessed with thousands of hot springs, often found in beautiful natural surroundings.The etiquette surrounding an onsen was bewildering at first but I soon mastered it and joined the other Japanese women for a couple of people like nothing more than a couple of hours of indulgent relaxation. Returning to my room refreshed a lovely lady appeared to assist me in to my yukat which had been provided and laid out for me. The yukata is a casual form of kimono which is the traditional dress after bathing and around a ryokan and it felt special to be dressed in such an elegant manner.

I was then motioned to sit on the cushion before the low table in preparation for dinner and I was served an elegant and delicious meal of traditional Japanese cuisine known as kaiseki, which gave me the opportunity to experience regional specialties that I would not have know how to order in a conventional restaurant. Ryokan meals are considered a highlight and many ryokans promote themselves on the quality of their food with breakfast being a similarly gourment experience.After a leisurely meal, the table is cleared and the same lady who helped with dress re-appeared to make up my bed for the night – a traditional futon made up of 3 thin mattresses placed directly on the floor (not like the sort we get from the Futon Shop in the UK!).Despite my concerns I had one of the best nights sleep ever wrapped in the warn cocoon of a cosy duvet.

Japan is a captivating country which I left with so many wonderful memories and a strong desire to return to explore yet further.