The Noto trip - when you become royalty.

The Japanese are famous for the exceptionally high level of politeness. It is noticeable everywhere – in smallest shops and convenience stores, post offices, everywhere one goes the service is simply superb. My favourite part is when handling the money, they receive and return cash with both hands a slight bow, using the very formal speech. Can be a princess anywhere I go, as long as I pay :).

As a part of PII, I was lucky enough to be stay overnight at a place that offered the best personal service in whole Japan. Kagaya Ryokan of Ishikawa Prefecture is Japan’s most famous 旅館 (ryokan – literally, a travel house, which is a traditional Japanese hotel, also tends to be much more expensive than typical western hotels). Since PII has America’s (supposedly) best and brightest students, the Ishikawa Prefecture Government has not begrudged a single yen and has kindly sponsored our stay in that ryokan, where a room per night costs around $500. To describe the whole experience in one sentence, I will say that for once in my I really felt like a queen.

Upon our arrival, we were greeted by two lines of maids dressed in pretty kimonos, bowing their heads. I felt like I was walking on a red carpet. Our luggage were taken to our rooms ahead of us, while we attended the opening speech with the tea ceremony in an extravagant hall whose roof opened automatically. I hardly understood anything of the welcoming speech, but I sporadically noted some absolutely polite vocab spoken only in absolutely formal occasions.


After the ceremony we had a little bit of time to enjoy our rooms, stunningly Japanese and pretty. We were served green tea the 2nd time during the day, this time in our suites. Before we had managed to get enough of a look of the room, we were soon dressed into the Japanese yukata, after which we were headed towards the welcoming reception (that was organized according to Japanese festivals, with food stands and games) which then was followed by a feast worthy of a king. While eating the superb quality food, we enjoyed performances and small chit chat. And my legs ached all along, as we all sat in a traditional Japanese way, on the floor.

However the real point of the trip, apart from really appreciating Japanese bests, was to soak in the Japan's always famous onsen (hot springs). The Japanese have thousands and thousands of hot springs, which are baths with above 40 degree Celcius water, full of minerals and medications, that are supposed to ease your pains and tiredness. The very unique thing about these hot springs is that you go into them completely naked, no towel allowed. Lucky, we were lodged at an onsen with separate baths, although co-ed baths also exist.

The kids in my program did not forget they were American, so after the dinner and the baths, we engaged in a drinking party in one of the rooms. Some managed to stay all night and get another soaking bath at the dawn, thus catching a view of beautiful sun-rise from the bath. I unfortunately crashed at around 4am. But it was experience like none before, something that would make every single person fall utterly and impossibly in love with Japan.