Getting ‘inn’ on a Japanese experience at a Ryokan in Gion, Kyoto

A room in a well-located ryokan costs between RM1,000 and RM2,000 per night.

Wanting to immerse herself in the rich culture of Japan, our reader traded modern-day amenities for a night in a traditional inn at the country’s most popular heritage site.

After watching Memoirs Of A Geisha, I yearned to stay in the Gion district to get intimate with Japan, and also to catch a glimpse of geisha. So during my recent visit to Kyoto, Japan, I booked a night’s stay in a ryokan, a traditional Japanese inn, despite its exorbitant price.