Staying at a Japanese Inn (ryokan or minshuku) includes an amount of responsability and expectance that you follow certain rules and rituals (that also applies to the Japanese guests).  

1. Always remove your shoes at the entrance of the ryokan and use the slipper made available for you. Some ryokans allow you to wear your normal shoes to the entrance of your door. 
2. Make sure to always remove your slippers before entering a room with tatami-floor (straw-mat-floor).
3. There are special slippers for the bathroom, please make sure to use these slippers while in the bathrooms and do not forget to remove them before entering another room.
4. In a lot of Japanese Inns the toilet is Japanese style which means that you squat, men and women alike. Please make sure to leave the room in the same condition as you found it.
5. When dinner is included, the hostess will ask you to decide a time when you want to have your dinner served in your room. Usually between 17:00 and 19:00. Sometimes the dinner is served in a big room together with all the other guests and then the hostess will tell you what time is suitable for you to come down to the dining room. Dinner and breakfast is always prepared using local delicacies and is carefully prepared by the head chef. To refuse trying the food or asking for another dish is considered very rude. Breakfast usually consists of rice, grilled fish, miso soup and some local dish. If you want western style breakfast or if you have any kind of allergies you should notify your travel consultant of this before you leave so that the Inn will have time to prepare special meals.
6. The hostess will prepare your futons (matresses) at appropiate time in the evening. (ryokan)
7. In Japan the baths are shared, but diveded into males and females. Some minshukus have only one bath and then there will be sign telling if it is womens time or men time. Before entering the washing aera, please remove your yukata (cotton kimono provided by the Inn) and put it in a basket that is provided for in the dressing room. You never enter the bath direct! Always start by rinsing off at the taps, sitting down. After a thorogh cleansing you are ready to soak in the hot water tub. The hot tub is like a saune, hot and for relaxing, no swimmimg or splashing around is allowed.
8. You never sleep in at a ryokan, the breakfast is served at a special time and you are expected to be awake and dressed in good time to enjoy the breakfast. Please always make sure you know the time for breakfast the evening before..
9. Most questions are answered in the polite way of "whenever it is suitable for you", please do not take advantage of this hospitality, always ask in return "when it is suitable for both of us".

A lot of the above rituals and regulations might seam silly and strange, but there are long time of traditions and culture aspects here . If you take your time and show interest for the peculiarities of Japanese culture and traditions you will get a lot in return. Also, a foreigner who seriously respects the Japanese traditions are always warmly welcomed!

We at the Japanspecialist wishes you a pleasent stay in Japan!