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SESK: Stuff Everyone Should Know · sesk.info/ja-room-style

At a Japanese inn, what is a 'washitsu' (和室)?

A Japanese-style room

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  1. A Western-style room
  2. A Japanese-style room ✔
  3. A hot spring bath

Why: Washitsu is a Japanese-style room and yooshitsu is a Western-style room. The staff asks which you prefer. A bath is ofuro.

Huh, didn't know that: In NHK's skit, the guest picks the Japanese-style room because it is larger.

The dad joke
I picked the washitsu, slept on a futon on the tatami, and had a floor-ish night.
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References

Answer: A Japanese-style room. Washitsu is a Japanese-style room and yooshitsu is a Western-style room. The staff asks which you prefer. A bath is ofuro.

  1. NHK WORLD-JAPAN Easy Japanese, Lesson 38 www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/lesson/en/lessons/38.html
    Yooshitsu to washitsu, dochira ga yoroshii desu ka. Which kind of room would you prefer, Western-style or Japanese-style?
    Checked 2026-10-10.

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