Our ryokan overlooked our own private garden.

Now let me tell you about slippers. Slippers are very important. There are toilet slippers and hallway slippers, and you MUST NOT mix them up. You must also not wear your hallway slippers on the tatami mats of your room. Never, however, NEVER wear toilet slippers into the hall. You must put on your halllway slippers to walk to the bathroom, where you must change slippers, then to leave the bathroom you must change back into hallway slippers, which you must remove before entering the room. Simple enough, right. Just don't go on automatic pilot, slipppers are a big deal!