Shimoke Mieko, 44
Innkeeper from Shinhoutaka, Gifu
What’s it like being an innkeeper?
I’ve been an innkeeper since I got married 18 years ago. It’s a family business. We can take holidays anytime, as long as we don’t have reservations. I can meet different people and that’s always interesting. Foreigners come sometimes, often from Holland. Not being able to speak English is a problem, so I speak with gestures. Most foreigners who come like Japanese food, but sometimes vegetarians come and that can be troublesome. They can’t even eat dashi, so I can’t serve miso soup. I hate vegetarianism!What’s your routine like?
We get up early, 6am, to make a traditional Japanese breakfast with the local specialty, hoba miso (sautéed miso, onion and mushrooms on a large leaf). Innkeeping is busy work. There’s no time to rest and relax. We always have to be here to take calls. Guests must be taken care of until they leave. The bath must be the right temperature. The rooms must be clean and set up just right. I always have to wear make-up and dress up in front of guests and smile.What’s the biggest problem you’ve ever had?
Parties. People drink too much, are noisy and bother other guests. So we don’t do them anymore. Once a customer complained because the people in the neighboring room were hitting the walls. When I asked them to be quieter, they got angry. Another time a kid was jumping on the sofa and jumped out the second story window! He hurt his head. So we got rid of the sofa and had to put guardrails on the windows. Things like that happen.Why do people come here?
Mostly for the onsen (hot springs). Others come for fishing and hiking the Northern Alps.What are your plans?
I plan to keep doing this as long as I can work. My husband’s family has been doing this for generations. I’ve known my husband since kindergarten, but didn’t fall in love with him until I was about 20. He’d never quit. My parents also ran a country inn, but I hated the idea as a young girl. I dreamed of being an artist.What about now? Do you have any dreams now?
I want to open a movie theater. It’d be great to have one out here in the country. Maybe we could put a big screen in the front of the hot spring bath--or build a special room. Then movie lovers could come, finish dinner early, and enjoy a film. Actually, we tried showing 8-mm films with two back and two front speakers. The sound was excellent, but the equipment was only on loan--we had to give it back.the end
This interview was originally published in Kansai Time Out magazine.