Vacation Rentals by Owner

Perfect 2 weeks in Kyoto

Guest: Geri (Australia)
Date of Stay: 08/29/11 Review Submitted: 09/16/11

We spent 2 weeks in this property and loved every moment of it. The house is small, but packs comfort and convenience wonderfully. The shower was one of the best ones we have had in Asia on our trip, the futons are perfect for sleeping and the living room at night with the lights coming from the little garden is not to be missed. The only thing that I thought could have been better was the kitchen, which is a bit small and without any storage options, but I think for most people it will never be an issue. Location is central and within walking distance of a lot of the attractions of Kyoto. Last, but not least, Kazuya is a very mindful host and delivered information and attention exactly when we needed it, even when we didnt even ask for it. Thank you! We couldn't have asked for anything more.

Recommended for:Families with teenagers, families with young children, girls getaway, tourists without a car, romantic getaway, sightseeing.

Great location, wonderful service, excellent value for money

Guest: Boston (Singapore)
Date of Stay: 08/24/11 Review Submitted: 09/04/11

My wife, my sister, and myself stayed at this very well-located traditional townhouse in the middle of Kyoto, the location was perfect for our needs, about a 10 to 20min walk to Kyoto station, about 5min or so by bus right outside, about a 15 to 20min walk from the Gion area by the river and about 30-40min walk to the imperial palace. Subway/train lines are within 5min walk. We were very comfortable on the futon bedding, loved the rock garden and cannot say enough about how much the owner Kazuya helped us every step of the way in our trip planning prior to arrival, picking us up at the station and giving us great insider tips on sightseeing. The AirCon works great in the house, extremely clean and very well-restored, beautiful house. We found a lovely coffee shop right around the corner on Matsubara St. We felt right at home and would recommend this rental to anyone. The small kitchen fit all our needs and there are bikes available. Wonderful!!!

Recommended for:Adventure seekers, families with teenagers, families with young children, tourists without a car, romantic getaway, sightseeing.

If you come to Kyoto this is a great place to stay!

Guest: tara (canada)
Date of Stay: 03/12/11 Review Submitted: 04/06/11

Our family with 2 young boys stayed here and it was truely lovely. The host is most helpful and the location is amazing. There is an easy walk to markets, laundry, bus, train and noodle houses. We loved our nights sleep on the tatami mats and I look forward to visitng again one day. If you have family or are a couple this is a quiet street, close to a corner store and post office. There is everything you need and someone to ask questions to if your don;t know. Thank you Kazuya!!!!

Recommended for:Age 55+, families with teenagers, families with young children, girls getaway, romantic getaway, sightseeing.

Fantastic place to stay

Guest: Andy (Derby, UK)
Date of Stay: 10/19/10 Review Submitted: 11/02/10

We stayed at the house in October, and had a great time (2 adults, 2 kids (10 & 13). It is in the heart of Kyoto, and in easy reach of all the major temples and sights. Kazuya is an excellent host, providing a lap top to use on the internet and a mobile phone in case of difficulties. We had a change of plans whilst in Kyoto and Kazuya helped us with hotel bookings. There are lots of places to eat close by, with a little supermarket just up the road, where they cook fresh Toncatsu up to 7pm at very good rates. Good for an cheap meal in. Its 15 minutes from the JR station, and Katsuya kindly picked us up and dropped us off when we left. I would have no hesitation in stopping here again.

Recommended for:Age 55+, families with teenagers, families with young children, tourists without a car, sightseeing.

Good value for money. Perfect stay

Guest: Jose (Madrid (Spain))
Date of Stay: 08/05/10 Review Submitted: 08/19/10

My colleague and I stayed in this townhouse for a week few days ago; we were attending a conference in Kyoto, and at the same time taking the opportunity to make the most of a tourist visit to this splendid city. This house was ideal for our purposes. Instead of booking two rooms in a hotel, my colleague slept in the room upstairs and I slept downstairs, after moving one bed downstairs with Kazuya consent. This was easy because the Japanese style beds consist only of floor futons; although they are very conformable, everyday night I slept many hours straight off. We save a lot of money and we were better than in a hotel. We had a small kitchen, very convenient because one of us was on a diet and could not eat fats or salty food. In the price were also included the use of two bicycles that we enjoyed tremendously. One day Kazuya took us to a festival near Arashiyama. He is the perfect host, very helpful and efficient, he gives you all the information you need, a cellular phone in case you need to contact him. We highly recommend this house.

Recommended for:Adventure seekers, girls getaway, tourists without a car, romantic getaway, sightseeing.

Wonderful Host and Beautiful Machiya!

Guest: Armando (Mayan Riviera, Mexico)
Date of Stay: 08/01/10 Review Submitted: 01/05/11

We stayed in Kazuya's house the first week of August 2010, The whole experience was great! Kazuya picked us up from the train station took us to the house droped our belongings and we were sooo lucky since the day we arrived there was a geisha festival and he offered to take us in his car! We would have never known about this festival if it wasnt for him. ( we were the only tourists there and I think we really lucked out ) It was the highlight of our trip to Japan! I was traveling with my Wife and my Mom and we were able to use the bedroom upstairs and with the consent of Kazuya my Mom slept downstairs. The a.c. works great! we had bicycles to use and he gave us all the information we needed! we had a store nearby, and Kazuya even helped us get a reservation to eat a Kaiseki meal for a very decent price! I do recommend the use of a smartphone with mapdroid or google maps, we never got lost with this gadget. you can take the buses to all the sites and always know where you are. If we go to Japan again will stay with Kazuya again!

Owner response:Dear Armando Thank you for coming. If I had a chance to go to Mexico, I will contact you. Thank you Kazuya Nishimura

Recommended for:Adventure seekers, age 55+, tourists without a car, romantic getaway, sightseeing.

(Seattle, WA)

Guest: Alison and Kurt ((Seattle, WA))
Date of Stay: 07/22/10 Review Submitted: 08/15/10

Our family of four had a wonderful experience staying in this townhouse in Kyoto. Kazuya has thought of every convenience a guest could want, met us at the train station and spent time to make sure we would feel comfortable navigating around the neighborhood and the sights in Kyoto. Our visit was in the very hot month of July, and the townhouse air-conditioning was perfectly comfortable throughout our stay. You will enjoy staying in this special traditional home, with tatami mats and futons, and exploring the very friendly and quiet neighborhood. Kyoto is a very special city in Japan, and this townhouse is the perfect place to stay. Kazuya, we hope we can come back to visit again!

Recommended for:Age 55+, families with teenagers, families with young children, tourists without a car, romantic getaway, sightseeing.

Guest: Tiffany24 (Gold Coast, Australia)
Date of Stay: 01/27/10 Review Submitted: 01/26/10

We stayed here in January 2010. Great value for money, much cheaper than a hotel (for a family of 4) and a much better Japanese experience. It is a beautiful, authentic Japanese townhouse with everything you could want. Own kitchen, good bathroom, comfy futon-style beds, gorgeous living room with Japanese-style low coffee table and a stunning Japanese garden to look at. Immaculately clean and tidy. It was very comfortable and we enjoyed our stay very much. We were met at the train station and transferred to the townhouse by the owner. The owner is extremely friendly and helpful. We will definitely return if we come back to Kyoto.

Recommended for:

Guest: vicki Sun (Singapore)
Date of Stay: 11/29/09 Review Submitted: 11/28/09

Hello Kazuya, Time flies and back in Singapore running the same routine all over again. Memories of the stay in Kyoto is still fresh in my mind. As I am writing, I can recall cycling with Tsung in the evening to the 24 hours Fresco supermarket to buy sashimi,unagi and some other food and we had a steaming shabu shabu in the dining room. My children just loved it. They felt so at home and comfortable staying in your house. They loved sleeping under the warm and fluffy blanket and sleeping together all in a roll felt so secure. Getting around Kyoto on bus was no problem at all. Won't mind staying in your house again if we should ever go back to Kyoto! Thanks again Kazuya.

Recommended for:

Guest: Joy & Ben Wigglesworth (Kathmandu Nepal)
Date of Stay: 04/20/09 Review Submitted: 04/19/09

We stayed for two weeks in the superb townhouse. It is located in a very quiet cul de sac and so has no through traffic outside. The surrounding area is not touristy and gives a great insight into living in Japan. The townhouse is well equipped. The entrance is large and contains a small kitchen area with a microwave, grill and hotpot. The kitchen is suitable for preparing small meals. Hot water is available at all times. The main room downstairs is furnished in typical Japanese stlye and overlooks a small garden. A computer connected to the internet is a boon and is available throughout the stay. Kazuya, the owner, is a mine of information and has shortcuts on the computer to find out latest information. He is perfect host and answers all questions. Kazuya speaks very good English. Upstairs we used the larger room for sleeping. Again furnished in local style it was very comfortable. The house is well heated and makes an ideal base for exploring the wonderful city of Kyoto.Most places are accessable by bicycle. Our stay was extremely enjoyable. We were able to totally relax in the townhouse and felt very much at home.

Owner response:Dear Joy & Ben Thank you for coming. I will wait for your next coming to Kyoto. Best Regards Kazuya Nishimura

Recommended for:

Guest: Sharon and Carl Anders (Sweden)
Date of Stay: 10/13/08 Review Submitted: 10/13/08

This was a wonderful place to stay. Kazuya was a most gracious host, providing everything for a comfortable and informative time in Kyoto, including maps, cell phone, pick-up from the train station and travel back to Osaka airport. He went above and beyond what one usually expects of a host. The house itself was simply fantastic for me and my husband, especially since we were combining a week's holiday with a conference. It's close to all major transport, located in a lovely residential area, with all the amenities one needs. The interior is small but charming, and we loved the view into the little garden, especially since it seemed an extension of the living area. We would not hesitate to stay there again - and I hope we get the chance to do so soon!

Recommended for:

Guest: Natasha2 (Berkeley, CA)
Date of Stay: 07/02/08 Review Submitted: 07/01/08

This was a completely delightful place to stay. We were very sorry to leave, having come to feel so at home at the lovely little townhouse. I suppose the townhouse is small by American standards, (though many a New Yorker would be happy to have this as an apartment of this size), but it has everything you need to be comfortable. It is lovely, tidy, and well designed. Having two floors made it easier to share a small space, and the internet and cell phone made everything very easy. Also, we felt like we had a personal "concierge" with Kazuya. Such thoughtful hospitality: every time we had a question or request, he found an answer for us, always going above and beyond...from having rental bicycles delivered, to locating vegetarian restaurants, to suggesting activities for our teen. The location is convenient for walking, bicycling, bus, subway or train. Despite being close to major roads it's very very quiet. The neighborhood is friendly and safe, with plenty of places to shop for groceries or go out to eat. We spent a night at a very lovely ryokan in Kyoto Gion, but came back here feeling that this little townhouse is every bit as special. I wish we were back there now, looking at the lovely little tsuboniwa garden from the main room or from the pleasant ofuro bath! Do yourself a favor and stay here rather than an impersonal hotel. We would gladly return.

Recommended for:

Guest: Natasha, Heller and Julia (Berkeley, CA)
Date of Stay: 06/16/08 Review Submitted: 06/16/08

This was a completely delightful place to stay. We were sorry to leave, having come to feel very at home there. We felt like we had a personal "concierge" with Kazuya. Such thoughtful hospitality: every time we had a question or request, he found an answer for us, always going above and beyond...from having rental bicycles delivered to locating vegetarian restaurants to activities for our teen. The location is convenient for walking, bicycling, bus, subway or train. The neighborhood is friendly (the nice ladies at the yakitori place helped us when we were lost). Despite being close to major roads it's very quiet. The townhouse is small (by American standards, though many a New Yorker would be happy to have this as an apartment!) yet has everything you need to be comfortable. It's tidy, quiet, and well designed. We spent a night at a very nice ryokan in Kyoto but came back here feeling that this is every bit as nice. The lovely little tsuboniwa garden to look at from the main room and from the pleasant ofuro...who could ask for anything more?

Recommended for:

Guest: Chrissie B. (Wellington, New Zealand)
Date of Stay: 05/13/08 Review Submitted: 05/12/08

We just loved this townhouse. This was our first visit to Japan. The townhouse is in the centre of Kyoto, close to sights, restaurants, temples etc. The townhouse is beautifully presented and comfortable, and Kazuya (the owner) made us very welcome. At one point our cellphone battery had gone flat so Kazuya even loaned us one of his cellphones! Thanks so much, we had a great time :-)

Recommended for:

Guest: Lisa McLaren (Sydney, Australia)
Date of Stay: 04/27/08 Review Submitted: 04/27/08

Stop looking and book this place!! I have nothing but highly positive things to say about this townhouse- great central location, in great new condition, good kitchen, living etc downstairs and bedroom upstairs (ideal as we were traveling with a baby), and fantastic value for the money! Kazuya provided amazing service - he collected us at the train station, gave us maps and explained the local area, set up a cot for our baby, organised a baby sitter, provided a mobile phone so we could contact him during the duration of our stay and he also dropped us to the train station when we left. Thank you Kazuya! You made our stay very enjoyable!

Owner response:Dear Lisa Thnak you for coming!! I hope you could come to Kyoto again. Kazuya

Recommended for:

Guest: Ashley12 (Calgary, AB, Canada)
Date of Stay: 04/14/08 Review Submitted: 04/14/08

Enjoyed our stay very much. The cell phone and additional directions to specific venues provided by Kazuya were immensely helpful.

Recommended for:

Guest: Anonymous
Date of Stay: 12/18/07 Review Submitted: 12/17/07

We spent four great days in the Townhouse in Kyoto. First, the owner Kazuya was a pleasure to deal with. He met us at the train station and brought us to the Townhouse. He thought of many minor details, providing us with area guides, access to his laptop computer and a prepaid cell phone in case we needed to reach him. The kitchen was well stocked with coffee and tea which was replenished daily. The Townhouse was clean when we arrived and fixed up daily during our stay. And we were pleasantly surprised by how accessible the Townhouse is to subways and buses. We really had a great stay and would highly recommend it.

Recommended for:

Guest: Anonymous
Date of Stay: 06/15/07 Review Submitted: 06/15/07

Nothing but good things to say - the townhouse is updated, comfortable and elegant. The owner took extra care to make us feel welcome and we had a great time in Kyoto. The computer and access to internet was a huge bonus as well! We'd definitely stay here again.

Recommended for:

Guest: Anonymous
Date of Stay: 05/25/07 Review Submitted: 05/25/07

Our stay in the Matiya Townhouse made our visit to Kyoto very enjoyable. The townhouse is new and in a quiet neighborhood.Our stay was made even more special by the attention to details by our host/owner. Our visit was more organized and comfortable because he prepared us with maps and suggestions. Friendly and available, he was ready to help us whenever we needed it. For someone looking for more traditional housing that provides independence and comfort, this townhouse will satisfy.

Recommended for:

Guest: Edwin Raymond (london)
Date of Stay: 05/18/07 Review Submitted: 05/18/07

Matiya Townhouse is situated in Kyoto, close to all the local hotspots and never too far away from the most important sites in the city and neighbouring Nara.The ‘Matiya Townhouse’ guest house is new, clean and very affordable, the owner and the staff are very friendly people and are always helping with visitors that are new to the city and Japan. The best time to visit Kyoto is around September/October because there are still many festivals around Kyoto and neighbouring Osaka. The added bonus is the weather is still fairly warm… Would love to bore you with how wonderful Kyoto is but you will find that out on your ownOnce again ‘Matiya Townhouse’ I would recommend as I personally know the owners to be friendly helpful and kind people which Kyoto seems to have in abundance

Recommended for:

Guest: Austin1 (USA)
Date of Stay: 04/12/07 Review Submitted: 04/11/07

Thank you for the lovely accomodation! Your townhouse reminded my girlfriend and I of a ryokan (traditional Japanese Inn) but was much newer, cleaner, and quieter than the ryokans we’ve stayed in! It was so nice to have our own space, yet never feel we were leaving the city behind. The neighborhood is quiet and the location is excellent! We’ll happily recommend your place in the future.

Recommended for: