"Not Doing Extra Is Kind Too": Should You Fold the Futon When You Check Out of a Ryokan? Japanese Guests and Cleaners Answer

What Japanese people said — picked from the top 169 of 232 comments

• I've heard a lot of the forgotten items are underwear left inside folded futons.

  畳んだ布団の中に下着の忘れ物が多いと言う話は聞いた事あります。

  — @まいまいうー52 likes

• When I had a part-time job cleaning hotel rooms, my senior told me to shake each futon about three times, because a guest's glasses, phone or wallet might be in there.

  僕もホテルの客室内清掃のバイトをやってたときに、先輩に布団は３回ぐらい揺らすように、お客さんのメガネやスマホや財布などが有るかもしれないからと言われたことがあります

  — @中川太一-s7w14 likes

• Honestly the futon gets in the way after I wake up, so I kind of have to fold it.

  布団はむしろ起きた後にじゃまになるから畳むしかないかな。

  — @しらんがな-c4e47 likes

• I fold the futon so I can check underneath it and in the gaps for anything I've forgotten.

  布団の下とか隙間に忘れ物が無いか確認の為に布団を畳みます。

  — @tombee978912 likes

• If you want to fold it, fold it. The point is just that if you're only folding it as a favor, please don't. Fewer people folding out of goodwill means less work for the ryokan in the end.

  畳みたきゃ畳めばいい。 ただ、畳みたいわけでなく、善意で畳むなら止めて欲しいということで、善意で畳む人が減れば、結果、旅館側の労力が減るということやろ。

  — @松本佑介-m2r11 likes

• I make a point of not folding the towels or the yukata neatly. I leave them in a heap so it's obvious they were used!

  タオルとか浴衣はキレイに畳まないようにしてる。 使ったことが分かるようにグチャって置くことを心掛けてる！

  — @すも-s1f59 likes

• If I don't lock it and someone else walks in and takes the fittings, it's going to be on me.

  鍵かけないで他の人が入って備品取られたら自分のせいになるじゃん。

  — @AA-nn6zs101 likes

• Treating an unlocked door as "they've checked out" seems way too sloppy for a ryokan. At our place we confirm the key has been returned at the front desk, and nobody goes in until the radio call comes.

  鍵が空いてるからチェックアウト済み と判断するのは旅館としてガバガバすぎでは？うちはちゃんと帳場で鍵の返却を確認して無線飛んできてからじゃないと入れないぞ

  — @ttckisi52 likes

• Also in summer, definitely leave the air conditioner on when you go. We end up turning it on to work anyway, and walking into a cool room makes a huge difference to your motivation.

  あと夏場は絶対エアコンつけっぱなしで帰ってね 作業するのに結局エアコンつけるし部屋入った時涼しいとやる気が変わる

  — @user-qz5my1pm2e128 likes

• Please turn the TV off. Otherwise I panic thinking someone's still in the room.

  テレビは消して欲しいです。なぜなら人が入ってるかと思ってしまって焦るからです

  — @sekaionch70 likes

• If people just didn't do things they wouldn't do in their own home, it should mostly be fine. But leaving the AC running while nobody's there and going out, leaving wet towels on the futon, hanging laundry that's still dripping so the tatami underneath is soaked, leaving the windows wide open in bad weather, the list goes on. Just keep "I wouldn't do this at home" in mind and that helps.

  自分の家でやらない事やってはいけない事をやらなければ大抵大丈夫な筈が、人いないのにエアコンつけっぱで外出、布団の上に濡れタオル放置、洗濯後の水が滴ってる洗濯物を干して下の畳びしょ濡れ、悪天候でも窓全開など上げれば切りが無い。とにかく自分の家ではやらないなを意識してくれれば助かる

  — @孤島寂しか郎14 likes

• Whenever I travel I always bring a brush pen and a letter set. If you want to say thank you, maybe write a message on a little notecard.

  旅に出る時は筆ペンとレターセットを必ず持っていきます。 感謝を伝えたかったら一筆箋にメッセージを書くといいかもですね

  — @NEKO-TABIGA-SUKI13 likes

• The most helpful things: Don't forget anything. Keep to the checkout time.

  1番助かる行動 忘れ物をしない。 チェックアウトの時間を守る。

  — @hikaru23811Most liked275 likes

• I currently work cleaning hotel rooms. What I find helpful: Strip the sheets and bundle them together. At hotels with drinks included, pour any leftover drinks down the toilet or the sink. Always keep to the check-in time. Don't forget anything. Leaving the key unlocked helps some people, but as long as you keep to the check-in time, it's fine to lock it.

  現ホテルの清掃で働いていますが 私が助かるなぁと思うのは シーツは剥がしてまとめる ドリンク付きのホテルなら残した飲み物はトイレか洗面所に捨てておく 必ずチェックインの時間は守る 忘れ物はしない 鍵は空けておくは助かる人もいますが チェックインの時間を守るならば鍵はかけても大丈夫です

  — @killneko30 likes

Should you fold the futon when you check out of a ryokan?

No. People who have cleaned rooms say staff check futons for left-behind items before putting them away, so a folded one just gets unfolded again. One former hotel cleaner was taught to shake each futon about three times to find glasses, phones and wallets, and another Japanese guest (52 likes) says forgotten underwear often turns up inside folded futons.

Should you lock the room when you leave a ryokan?

Japanese guests are split. Leaving it unlocked can save staff a trip for the spare key, but the most-liked reply on the subject (101 likes) says that if someone walks in and takes the fittings, the blame lands on you. A current hotel cleaner says locking is completely fine as long as you check out on time.

Should you fold the yukata and towels before leaving?

Many Japanese guests deliberately don't. One guest (59 likes) leaves towels and the yukata crumpled so it is obvious they were used, and another (28 likes) does the same so an unused-looking set is not handed to the next guest without a wash.

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