Miyagawacho Samurai Machiya

Miyagawacho Samurai Machiya is a two-level traditional "Kyo Machiya” townhouse built toward the end of the nineteenth century. It has been fully renovated and features luxurious modern facilities while preserving the original design and feel. 

Located in Miyagawa-Cho, right next to the famous and historical Gion, our guests are within two of Kyoto's famous "Hanamachi" (Geisha districts) and will enjoy the traditional lifestyle of the people of Kyoto in full modern luxury. FULLY LICENSED

This large house (over 165 m2 / 1,780 sq ft) has been entirely renovated and is just opening to the public. Its perfect location in the Higashiyama area will enable you to walk in only a few minutes to Gion, the Kiyomizu-Dera Temple, and the surrounding preserved pedestrian streets, the best nightspots Kyoto has to offer, Pontocho or Kiyamachi, or the downtown commercial district or Nishiki food market. With the Kiyomizu-Gojo train station a couple of minutes away, it will be easy to move around the city. Kyoto Station is a short taxi ride away, and there are numerous public transportation options nearby. There are also plenty of places for shopping and eating around.

The house features two separate buildings, the old original machiya that has been entirely renovated, and another newly built one located behind the Japanese garden. A small space separates the two buildings.

You enter the main building into a large open LDK area (Living Dining Kitchen) with a long wooden table with seating for up to ten persons in front of a large Japanese tatami mat room with a Japanese garden in the background. A fully equipped modern kitchen is on the right side of this area, under a large "Hibukuro" (open space) area with exposed wooden beams and traditional Kyoto woodwork.

A western bedroom with a double bed is on the side of the entrance.

Going upstairs, you'll find another large LDK, separating two bedrooms, a western one and a Japanese tatami mats one.

In the new building, located behind the tsuboniwa garden, there is another western bedroom, a large bathroom with a bathtub and a shower, as well as a toilet, a laundry room, and some storage space.

The main kitchen will please anyone who wants to cook at home. A comprehensive selection of cooking utensils, induction cooktops, dishwashers, microwave ovens/ovens, all kinds of appliances such as rice cookers, toasters, blenders, electric kettles, Nespresso machines, and regular coffee machines, and of course, pans, frying pans, dishes, plates, glasses, cutlery, and more. You'll also find all the basic ingredients such as salt pepper, oil, sauce, soja, etc.  Everything a cook will need to prepare a complete meal to be shared among family members and friends.

The house features four bedrooms, three Western-style ones each with a double bed one with an additional sofa bed, and a Japanese tatami mat bedroom. The large living room overlooking the Japanese courtyard garden (tsuboniwa) can be split into two spaces with fusuma or paper doors. As is traditionally done in Japan in the ryokan or at home, depending on the number of guests, this area is also used as an additional bedroom where guests sleep on comfortable futons placed on the tatami mats. The decoration of the room is plain, with Samurai Tom, an old armor, seating in the tokonoma (alcove), and a traditional wedding kimono on the wall. 

You'll enjoy this wide area, relaxing around a low round table while looking at the Japanese garden, or seated on the small sofa around a coffee table and watching the news (BFMTV, BBC, NHK, CNN, or FoxNews thanks to an Apple TV) or a movie on Netflix or YouTube on the large (50 in) flat panel HDTV. 

Features include air conditioning in every room, floor heating in both the LDK areas, and radiators in the western bedrooms -- whether you stay in the heat of the summer or the cold of the winter, you are sure to always feel comfortable.

The house features four bathrooms. A traditional wooden bathroom with a bathtub and a shower in the new building and another separate shower room in the main building. Upstairs, there is one bathroom unit with a bathtub, shower, sink, and toilet as well as another shower room and powder room (that is en-suite with the upstairs Western bedroom). There are altogether four toilets.

The house is also equipped with two fully automatic All-In-One Washer/Dryer and appliances such as a hairdryer in each bathroom, iron and board, USB chargers, two large size flat panel HDTV (one with an Apple TV) and our guests can enjoy unlimited access to superfast (optical fiber) internet via Wi-Fi throughout the house. 

The whole house with a high open ceiling upstairs with exposed wooden beams and old Kyoto woodwork is decorated with traditional Japanese crafts and antique art pieces and furniture, for a more refined atmosphere where you will enjoy the traditional lifestyle of the people of Kyoto in full modern comfort and luxury.

Our office is open 24/7 with bilingual (English-speaking) staff available for any assistance or concierge services required by our guests. Our website is full of information and recommendations for the visit to Kyoto or restaurant suggestions. A detailed map of the neighborhood will make it easy to find the good places to go around and discover firsthand the beauty of the Hanamachi (flower town) or geisha world surrounding the house.

The complete house is licensed for and can accommodate up to fifteen persons (although we recommend it for up to twelve for added space and comfort). Our base price is for eight people.

Guests have access to the whole space (except a couple of closets reserved for housekeeping). There is no sharing with anyone else.

We offer 24/7 concierge services (within reason), and free luggage storage and we're always available for any help necessary for information, preparation, restaurant reservation, suggestion, advice, etc.

We love Kyoto and like to share our interest and enthusiasm with our guests. We also have a dedicated website (mykyotomachiya) full of information and pictures to enable our guests to fully explore and enjoy our wonderful city.

The house is located in Miyagawa-cho, right next to the famous and historical Gion. Both Miyagawa-cho and Gion are two of the five famous Hanamachi districts (flower town or geisha districts) of Kyoto.

You'll enjoy crossing paths with geiko or maiko on their way to their engagement for the evening.

The house is only a few minutes away from the Kiyomizu-Gojo train station where you can board the Keihan line to go to Fushimi Inari, Uji, or Nara to the south, and to Gion or up to Demachiyanagi to the north.

Being in the middle of one of Kyoto’s most popular and exciting areas, you won't have any problems finding a taxi or walking to shops, restaurants or bars.