St. Louis is Turning Japanese

I’ve had the idea, somewhere in the back of my mind, to someday open a Japanese-style Bed and Breakfast. First of all I’d rehab an old house, maybe a Victorian, and decorate the upstairs rooms with furnishings and furniture from the Far East. Downstairs, I would have the dining area; of course, featuring whatever food they have for breakfast in Japan. There would be an adjacent meeting room that would be rented out for corporate meetings and functions. (If you are a business traveler, why stay in a hotel?) At the front of the house would be a gift shop featuring imported gifts and fine Japanese incense. As a matter of fact, incense would be a central theme of the bed and breakfast; a sample would be left in each of the rooms instead of the traditional piece of candy. The shop would also incorporate some of the other traditional arts of Japan such as a selection of teas and gifts relating to Origami and Ikebana maybe even a Bonsai tree or two.

In the basement there would be a gym for working out and maybe space where massages, Tai Chi, and Aikido lessons would be offered. Outside, in back of the house, would be a traditional Japanese garden with lots of rocks and free flowing sand and water. And finally, to top it all off, there would be a Japanese bath.