Vacation Rentals by Owner

Ideal location in a charming machiya

Guest: Aussie Wendy (Brisbane Australia)
Date of Stay: 03/28/12 Review Submitted: 04/26/12

Other reviews say it all. This is very comfortably appointed with a well equipped small kitchen, dining area, laundry with a combined washer/dryer, toilet and deep Japanese style bath and shower wet room downstairs and a western bedroom (sleeps 2 in a proper double bed) and tatami room with low chairs, TV and DVD upstairs that will sleep up to 3 on futons. Heaters throughout ensure its cosy in the Kyoto cold weather which was needed for our April visit. A tiny courtyard balcony opens off the dining area and there are 2 basic bikes you can use. The decor and furnishings throughout are traditional and pretty and the whole machiya has instant welcoming "appeal". The bus stop is close and it is walking distance also to the Keihan train line. The location is excellent, tucked down a tiny lane it is so very quiet-it was great to leave the hordes of tourists and slip down our little lane to peace. A full supermarket and plenty of 7-11 type stores are a short walk away. The area itself is in the heart of Southern Higashiyama-a short walk up the hill to Kiyomizudera-perfect for sightseeing and exploring the winding lanes, shops and restaurants and for those who like walking walkable to Nanzenji complex of temples or closer to home Maruyama Park, Gion and the shops and department stores of Kawaramachi. The owner speaks excellent English and was extremely helpful-be it organising a shuttle for arrival or sightseeing and eating recommendations. Despite not arriving til after 10pm she met the shuttle, walked us to the machiya and took plenty of time to explain how everything worked. If we had needed her she was just a phone call away. The booking and pre organisation also was very smooth and professional. There are lots of books and sightseeing info in the machiya to pour over. I would suggest if you had children or thought you might have some evenings in, bringing some of your favourite English DVDs to watch though there are a small selection provided. We were a family of 3 (travelling with our adult daughter) and would not hesitate to stay here again if we return to Kyoto and highly recommend it to other couples or smaller families. The stairs to the upper area are very steep so very young children not familiar with the dangers of stairs would need monitoring. This property likewise would not be suitable for any older persons who have difficulty with stairs.

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

Great winter stay

Guest: Lucas (Melbourne)
Date of Stay: 12/22/11 Review Submitted: 01/05/12

We stayed in Acco's wonderful Machiya for 7 days over Christmas and had a great time. Kiyomizu temple is an extremely popular destination for Japanese people (as well as other tourists) the atmosphere in the area was vibrant and exciting yet very respectful to the history and customs of the temple. The Machiya was very well appointed and cosy in the cold weather, it was great to arrive and settle into the neighborhood for a short while. We made good use of the bus routes around Kyoto with the nearest bus stop only a few minutes walk away. We have two children (5yo, 3yo) who really loved the Japanese way of living, deep baths, beautiful details and futons on the warm tatami! A day trip to nearby Kurama Onsen in the snow was a highlight for everyone. I hope we get to go back one day!

Recommended for:Families with young children, romantic getaway, sightseeing.

Excellent option, excellent value. Two bikes!

Guest: NJfam (PRINCETON, NJ)
Date of Stay: 12/07/11 Review Submitted: 12/12/11

Stayed at this delightful traditional-style apartment in Dec 2011. We were two people (not a couple) so the two bedrooms were convenient. The house is very conveniently located in East Kyoto on some major bus routes and a taxi stand. There is an excellent soba restaurant one minute away, and several convenience stores. More restaurants on Sannenzaka 5 minutes away. The main Gion drag is 10 min walk away if you like nightlife. The owner Acco is very nice and speaks excellent English. She helped me find an English-speaking dentist to handle a dental emergency that arose during my trip. (The dentist seemed competent and charged a very fair price.) She gave us some good tips for sightseeing and restaurants. A big plus is that the house comes with two bikes (very basic city bikes). I went on one ride along the river, and also explored the streets on the other side of the river. I also went for an amazing bike ride one morning along Philosopher's walk (highly recommended!!), and visited some temples before the tourist hordes arived. Kyoto is a bikers' city and this house is well-located to explore much of Kyoto by bike. The house is very comfortable with heaters, AC, futons etc. Like all Japanese houses it is a bit cozy by American standards. The kitchen and living room is well-stocked. I think this is a fantastic value, especially for 2 or more people. Lastly, Kyoto is amazing. Definitely on the list of places to visit before you die.

Recommended for:Families with young children, romantic getaway, sightseeing.

A Kyoto delight

Guest: Andrew (Australia)
Date of Stay: 11/22/11 Review Submitted: 12/13/11

We stayed for 5 days in this charming house in Nov. I agree with all the previous reviews and I won't repeat what had written. It is nice and quiet but easy to get to attractions and transport. Acco is a great host. Arigato.

Recommended for:Adventure seekers, age 55+, families with teenagers, families with young children, girls getaway, tourists without a car, romantic getaway, sightseeing.

Great Place to Stay in Every Way

Guest: Norman & Yukie (Torrance, CA)
Date of Stay: 08/01/11 Review Submitted: 08/14/11

We certainly enjoyed our recent stay at the Kiyomizu House in Kyoto. Everything is as described in the ad. Everything worked great: kitchen, bath, laundry and air conditioning (thankfully, since we were there in August). It was so comfy having breakfast at "home" every morning and having plenty of room to move around in. Bed & futons were clean and comfortable. Location was great: a short walk to the nearest bus stop (and there's a taxi stand right there too), from which you can go anywhere quite easily, and a nice walk up the hill to the Kiyomizu Temple, one of the highlights of Kyoto. Perfect combination of being relatively close to a major intersection and yet far enough away that it was really quiet. Acco was really hospitable and well prepared. She met us when we arrived, and came right on time when it was time for us to go. We're really happy we decided to stay here. Thanks again Acco!

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

A perfect Japanese experience

Guest: Hopetrip (Berkeley, CA)
Date of Stay: 05/23/11 Review Submitted: 06/01/11

We stayed in this lovely house with our two twenty-something sons. We definitely enjoyed the authentic Japanese machiya-style living, the beautiful furnishings (including comfortable futons!), the Japanese bath, and having breakfast with the doors open to the zen garden. The location is perfect, close to transportation (we rode the bus everywhere, or walked), and the quiet alley is tucked away so we felt like we were in a small town, not a busy city. The bikes came in handy too! We enthusiastically recommend this place, and hope to visit again someday.

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

Top 5 Reasons to Choose THIS Place

Guest: Rachael (Chatan, Okinawa, Japan)
Date of Stay: 02/17/11 Review Submitted: 02/22/11

1) The hosts were exceptionally helpful, accommodating, and flexible to our needs, which greatly enhanced our Kyoto experience. 2) The house was well-maintained, clean, and the beds were comfortable. 3) The ambiance of the house is zen-like with simple Japanese decorations and style setting the calming/therapeutic mood of Kyoto . 4) Ideal little corner in Kyoto: the location is close to many temples in Central Kyoto and just a short cab ride (880Y) away from JR Kyoto Station. 5) Shops/restaurants close by: kinako ice cream and matcha lovers paradise! Other considerations: the steps are steep, but manageable & for 6 ft people you will have to duck through doorways. Also, we had a few nights with noisy stray cats. Overall, we loved our stay and would definitely recommend it to friends and come back to this exact location. The online pictures do not do it justice.

Owner response:Thank you very much for staying at our house. Sorry about kittys... maybe they are excited for the spring time! We are very glad you had good stay. Thank you for your comment also, we'll put more pictures soon. Warmest regards, Acco

Recommended for:Adventure seekers, age 55+, families with teenagers, families with young children, girls getaway, tourists without a car, romantic getaway, sightseeing.

Guest: R.P.G
Date of Stay: 11/14/10 Review Submitted: 01/03/11

"Our visit to Kyoto was very successful in every sense, we enjoyed it so much. Much of it was due to your nice house in which we lived for two weeks and felt there like home. We loved the neighborhood and on our last Friday in Kyoto had a long walk through the little alleys of the area. We just loved it and decided that this was the most beautiful area in Kyoto...."

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Quiet location, beautiful home, great base for exploring Kyoto

Guest: sf (San Francisco, CA)
Date of Stay: 06/26/10 Review Submitted: 07/21/10

Our family of 4 (kids 7 and 13 years old) LOVED this home! It is in a busy neighborhood with all the services you need but down a quaint alley, so it is quiet and makes you feel that you are truly experiencing living in Kyoto. We stayed for 2 weeks here, and I recommend as long a stay as possible! There is so much to see and do in Kyoto, but wandering around its lovely neighborhoods is the best. This house has everything you need, down to the last detail (and down to the smallest size dish), and Acco is warm and accommodating as well as very professional. Taxi and bus access is very convenient, and being able to beat the mobs of students visiting Kiyomizu-dera is a treat!

Recommended for:Adventure seekers, age 55+, families with teenagers, families with young children, girls getaway, tourists without a car, sightseeing.

Family from Eastern Washington

Guest: George (Selah, Washington)
Date of Stay: 06/19/10 Review Submitted: 07/15/10

My wife and I, son(16) and daughter(13) were very comfortable for our six night say. It is an easy walk to Gion and the downtown shopping area as well as an effortless bus ride. With a bus map and schedule it is very easy to get anywhere in Kyoto. Acco greeted us and gave great information. Having a traditional Japanese home to go to was so much better than a hotel for our family. It allowed us to explore the food stores and try new things. Our children will never forget the tatami mats and their unique smell. And it is such a short walk to Kiyomizudera. Oddly, we did not visit it until the last day, but my son was absolutely entranced. The street is very quiet, and the sound of the water draining from the temple stream is very calming. We highly recommend it and would return.

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

2 Couples from New Jersey, USA

Guest: Michael, Norma, Jerry, and Malory (Flemington/Warren NJ (NYC area) USA)
Date of Stay: 06/07/10 Review Submitted: 06/16/10

The four of us had a terrific time in Kyoto, many thanks to Acco, her suggestions for walking tours, and her wonderful home. We were told that June was the rainy season, but we had only perfect weather. We enjoyed our stay in this cozy, clean, and comfortable Kiyomizu house, and its great location relative to the area attractions. The house is everything it is described to be and more. Our visit was too short, we would have liked to have stayed longer. There are so many things to see and do nearby, with this great place to come home to at the end of the day. We highly recommend this house and Acco our new friend, the owner, and gracious host.

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

An excellent place to stay!!

Guest: SF voyageur (San Francisco, USA)
Date of Stay: 04/10/10 Review Submitted: 04/21/10

This is the perfect place to stay - we were two adults and two small-ish (9 and 5) children. The kids loved the steep stairs! The location was perfect - very convenient to many buses - close to Kiyomizudera - but off the beaten path, so VERY quiet. The kitchen is small but very serviceable. The hot water was plentiful and water pressure was great. The washing machine was great - the dryer wasn't great, but there is drying space both inside and out. Acco was wonderful. My son forgot his camera in Ohara (day trip) and she called to see if they could find it. They couldn't, but she did all she could. She also made reservations for our shuttle both to and from the airport and helped us with our things to and from the house. I highly recommend the house and would love to return one day!

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

Great for cherry blossoms

Guest: happy australia (Aust)
Date of Stay: 04/04/10 Review Submitted: 04/09/10

Our family of 2 adults and 2 teenagers stayed here to visit Kyoto in cherry blossom season. The house is fantastic. it is only a short walk from the bus (which is important to us after a long day sight seeing). It is very quiet, comfortable,warm and has plenty of hot water. The washing machine is very useful.As it is so close to Kyiomizu-dera you can visit here early in the morning when it is quiet and also pop up easily at night to see the cherry blossoms at night. It is wonderful to be so near to such a fantastic part of Kyoto for sight seeing. We walked all the way to the philosophers walk in one easy day and caught the bus home. My husband and daughter had a lovely ride on Acco's bikes early one morning also( when things are not crowded and very quiet). Acco is delightful and very helpful. This place is the best and we will definitely return.

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

Hanami in Kyoto

Guest: Kathh (Tokyo, Japan)
Date of Stay: 03/28/10 Review Submitted: 04/05/10

Our family of 4 adults stayed in this very clean and beautifully appointed little home nestled quietly away from the busy streets leading to Kiyomizudera. We had a lovely few days and it was very relaxing and cosy in the machiya house. The convenient location was perfect for sightseeing and an easy walk/cabride from all the places we wanted to visit. My parents are between 60 and 65, and they found the steep staircase a little challenging, but enjoyed it as part of the Japanese experience. Acco was lovely and most helpful. All up we had a wonderful time staying here!

Recommended for:Girls getaway, tourists without a car, sightseeing.

Guest: Cliff3 (-)
Date of Stay: 02/17/10 Review Submitted: 02/17/10

Wonderful Machiya-Style House. Well heated, on demand hot water, super fast internet and very comfortable, all in a traditional Japanese setting. Also the owner Acco is a great asset. She helped with telling us where the best restaurant areas were, and made great suggestions for places to visit.

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Guest: Margaret (London UK)
Date of Stay: 01/10/10 Review Submitted: 01/10/10

We - my partner, myself and our 18 year old daughter, stayed here for 6 nights in October. We loved the whole experience, Acco is a great host,and the house is lovely, so much better than being in a hotel. With Acco's help we soon mastered the buses and found our way around this beautiful city, Sophie was able to get around safely on her own, even the weather was perfect! The house is very well equiped and located, we cooked for ourselves some nights, there is a great supermarket 5 mins walk away and many temples, historic districts etc are within walking distance. We did one day trip - to Hiroshima by train. A very do able and fascinating trip, but mostly we just explored Kyoto, great walks, food, markets (especially the Temple market on our first Sunday!) and loved going back to the house each evening. It was the highlight of our visit to Japan.

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Guest: Anonymous
Date of Stay: 01/05/10 Review Submitted: 01/05/10

We stayed here in November and had a wonderful time. The house is a perfect balance between traditional and modern Japanese-style living. It is a rather spacious house and yet still felt very cozy and warm to us. It was clean, quiet and very conveniently located. As a bonus, the house comes with two bikes which were a blast to tour around on (we almost felt local getting around in this way!). The woman who rents the Kiyomizu house, Acco, speaks superb english and is just delightful to work with. We both HIGHLY recommend this place. We have stayed at other places in Kyoto before and even though we've enjoyed them too, this is our favorite. Hope you enjoy staying here as much as we did.

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Guest: K Myers (Castaic, California)
Date of Stay: 12/22/09 Review Submitted: 12/22/09

Our stay here was very homey. The house is on a quiet little street, yet has easy access to bus, taxi or a wonderful walk thru the Gion district. The rooms have heaters that warmed the place in minutes, which was welcome after a long day sightseeing. Sleeping on futons on the tatami mats felt incredibly comfortable, and took us back in time. The fall colors in the city was a real treat – especially so near at Kiyomizu-dera Temple. Acco was of invaluable help finding places, getting information and a wonderful host. When we come back to Kyoto, this will be our choice of stay!

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Guest: Alex and Cathy (Maui, Hawaii, USA)
Date of Stay: 12/04/09 Review Submitted: 12/04/09

We absolutely loved staying here. No more five-star hotels for us. This was home. The location is magnificent. A morning ritual of a walk to the Kiyomizudera Temple is highly recommended. We greatly appreciated the numerous heaters for the November chill that serve as air conditioners for the summer, and the fresh flowers! The bed is very comfortable as an alternative to the traditional mats. We felt a kinship to Acco, who was extremely helpful, that we hope lasts a lifetime.

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Guest: Marc Iwahashi (Cupertino, California)
Date of Stay: 06/22/09 Review Submitted: 06/22/09

Our family stayed at this very clean and wonderful house just a few minutes from Kiyomuzu-dera. The bikes that came with it were a great thing. The place to stay was a very quiet, clean, and restful. Away from all the noise of central Kyoto but still close to many attractions. Just a few minute walk to Ichinen, Ninen, and Sannenzaka. A beautiful walk through old Kyoto. I would definately return to this home and Acco was such a gracious host and added some wonderful touches like, fresh flowers in several areas of the home. Wish we could have stayed longer. So much more things to do. Acco was always accessible to us.

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Guest: Anonymous
Date of Stay: 05/23/09 Review Submitted: 05/23/09

We had a wonderful time at the Kiyomizu house. My husband and I stayed in this delightful house for 2 weeks. The house is charming, comfortable and on a quiet street near the Kiyomizu Temple. There is a nice outdoor deck for a pleasant breakfast or lunch. There is good access to public transportation. The owners --John and Acco -- are extremely helpful and were very attentive to our needs. We highly recommend the Kiyomizu House.

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Guest: Edwardo1 (San Francisco,CA)
Date of Stay: 03/05/09 Review Submitted: 03/05/09

My wife and I stayed here for a week and enjoyed it immensely! Easy access to bus lines, a taxi station, and two bikes made it very convenient. We spent one day riding the bikes around Kyoto and it made for one of our most memorable days in Japan. Plus, wandering around the area and the easy walk back to the house was the best. The house itself is very well maintained and comfortable--we felt right at home as soon as we arrived. The owners were very helpful and had a handy collection of maps, brochures, and a travel guide for our use. We highly recommend it!

Owner response:We are currently putting together a list of restaurants we recommend and will be glad to arrange reservations and menu assistance for our guests. Most of these restaurants only appear in Japanese guides and magazines.

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Guest: Jon6 (Seattle, WA)
Date of Stay: 04/18/08 Review Submitted: 04/18/08

Had an excellent week here! My wife, daughter and I were the first people to rent out the house. We found it to be very pleasant and conveniently located. It's attractively decorated, and has a washer and dryer(combined in 1 unit! Allow a lot of time for drying). Our wireless internet access was perfect, and we enjoyed sitting around the dining room table at night viewing (and emailing) our pictures from the day's activities...Owners are very responsive about addressing renters' concerns... As is typical for Japanese houses, the rooms can be cool unless the room heaters are turned on. Also, be aware that the stairs upstairs are steep (not a problem, if you go slowly). But the pleasant environment and easy access to the city make it a great place to stay!

Owner response:All Kyoto machiya (townhouses) have these steep stairways, so folks with small children should heed Jon's comments if you're considering staying in a traditional house.

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