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Comment by timr | Hacker News Reader

That article is a bit silly. While I'm sure it's nice, this is not one of the high-end ryokans in Kyoto, and by no means is it "the best hotel in Japan" (I lived in Kyoto, and have been there many times). Reading the reviews, it mainly sounds small and difficult to book, and it has a cult reputation.

I was actually a little surprised Jobs stayed there, given that there are really high-end places where dignitaries and utra-rich people tend to stay. This particular place is not in a fancy or scenic area, though it is in a very convenient location, very near Teramachi, Sanjo, Kiyamachi, etc. Many of the elite ryokans are further out in more scenic areas (in Arashiyama, for example).

The service standard in Japan is quite high, so pretty much any mid-range ryokan will provide an umbrella or making reservations for you. And if you're an internationally famous billionaire...

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Having lived in Japan for a year and reading the review of the service, it reminds me how funny it is to read foreigners reviews of Japanese customer service describing it as miraculous when Japanese would consider it standard and adequate. Truly a special culture and country, the rest of humanity could learn a lot about humility and service from Japan.

Yes, definitely. Travel blogs about Japan (travel blogs in general?) are usually pretty cringey for exactly that reason. It takes some time and experience to know what is unique about a culture, and what is simply the normal service/tourist mode of interaction.

I try not to judge, since I'm sure that I had the same experience the first time, and it's part of what makes it fun to travel there. But I'm also not really reacting to the sincerity of the authors' amazement, as much as their lack of self-awareness when writing things like "this is the best hotel in Japan", when their sample size is clearly pretty small.

Oh it is assuredly not the best hotel in Kyoto, or even the nicest staff. Still, I don't doubt the service was so much better than they've experienced everywhere else in the world that they statistically just assumed it must also be exceptional by Japanese standards as well.

As an interesting aside, I met a few western youngsters working in the hotel industry in Japan and they were very nice and their Japanese was very good, but they said they constantly seemed to not meet the standards their managers expected of them.

The quality of service you can get at the average 7-11 there feels almost comparable to dining at a five star restaurant in NYC, and going to an average quality hotel can feel like you're a guest at the Ritz Carlton. It's because Japanese have no shame in providing excellent service to others. I feel in the US it is considered as if one is admitting they are beneath another if they provide that kind of service, maybe that's why we have a tipping culture as well, to assuage the feeling of shame that comes with service in the US. A pity the nation has a culture like that, being of service to others is something that should be considered noble and aspirational.

What makes you think SJ would appreciate what the ultra-billionaire appreciates, though? :)

Indeed, not all billionaires appreciate the same things.

I’m sure Steve Jobs stayed at the highest end spots elsewhere on the planet. It mentions in the article that this place is right near his favourite soba.

The soba place is good.

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