Kyoto Traditional "Machiya" Hanare in Arashiyama Kyoto Vacation Rental by Owner Listing 212184

The Hanare is just behind the main house, shown here

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Location: Kyoto, Japan, Asia

Accommodations:  House, 1 Bedroom, 1 Bath (Sleeps 3)

The Arashiyama Hanare is a traditional Japanese "machiya" is located in scenic Arashiyama, on the west side of Kyoto. Arashiyama is a popular tourist destination in Kyoto, with it's beautiful scenery, the Katsura River with it's romantic "Moon-Crossing Bridge" (8 minute walk,) and the Monkey Park. The UNESCO World Heritage listed Tenryuji Temple is an 8 minute walk away. Other sights are very easily reached by the Randen line train, such as Ninnaji Temple, Ryoanji Temple, and Saihoji (Moss Temple.) Other nearby tourist attractions include the Saga "Romantic Train" old-fashioned diesel train which winds through the hills, as well as boat rental and white-water rafting, not to mention hiking, all located nearby. A natural "onsen" hot spring (entrance fee just ¥1000) is just a 15 minute walk away.

The Arashiyama Hanare was built 100 years ago, and was completely restored in 2008. The restoration was a labor of love, requiring the participation of artisans specializing in traditional carpentry techniques, and using natural materials in all areas both inside and out. Great efforts were made to recreate an atmosphere which will allow guests to experience the traditional way of living. An added modern touch for comfort is the luxurious bathing area and bathroom...where you can soak in the oversized tub while gazing at the garden, after a full day of sightseeing.

The Arashiyama Hanare is just behind the main house, but has an independent entrance and is completely separated. The total space is 35 square meters. Near the entrance is the kitchen, which has basic facilities for simple cooking. The floor of the kitchen is made of "tataki," a traditional mixture of "shikkui" and soil. There are two tatami rooms, one 3 mats, and the other 6 mats. Two to three guests can be accommodated on futons, which can be placed on the floor of either room.

The Arashiyama Hanare shares a garden with the main house. The owners live in the main house, and they have two small children who are active in the daytime (which may mean the sounds of children playing.) Owners speak English, and are happy to provide assistance during the stay. One of the owners is an ikebana master, and flower arrangements will welcome guests upon arrival.

There's easy access to all of the sightseeing spots in central Kyoto. The train station (JR Saga Arashiyama Station) is five minutes walk away, and from there it's 10-15 minutes to Kyoto Station. Another train station "Randen Saga" is three minutes walk away.

The Arashiyama Hanare offers an opportunity to experience Kyoto life in a very special part of the city, living in a typical Kyoto neighborhood.

In the days when the ancient capital was located in Nara, Arashiyama was known as a pleasure resort for the Emperor and his court people. Since then, it has always attracted people with it's scenic beauty and and seasonal colors, particularly the cherry blossoms of the Spring, and the changing leaves of the Autumn.

Please have a look at "guest comments" to hear about the personal experiences of a few of our guests.

**SPECIAL EVENT DECEMBER 11th TO 20th, 2009:
There will be a special illumination each evening during this period in the Arashiyama area. Paths, walkways, bamboo forests, the Togetsukyo Bridge etc. throughout the Arashiyama area will be brightly illuminated. This is something you won't want to miss, if you're thinking of staying during mid December.

Vacation Rental Features

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• Amenities
  • Air Conditioning
  • Washer
  • Dryer
  • Linens Provided
  • Off Street Parking
• Kitchen
  • Full Kitchen
  • Cooking Utensils Provided
  • Refrigerator
  • Microwave
• Communications
  • WiFi (Wireless Internet)
• Suitability
  • Kid Friendly
  • Smoking Not Allowed
• Activities (on site and nearby)
  • Shopping
  • Sightseeing
  • Restaurants
  • Rafting
  • Boating
  • Hiking
• Other Activities
  • Natural Hot Springs located 15 minutes' walk away, entry ¥1000 per person.

Rate Details (In US Dollars)

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Personal Currency Assistant™

$110/nt. low season (December to February, June to August)
$130/nt. high season (March to May, September to November)
Rate is for two persons.  Charge for third person is an additional $20/night.
Rates include tax. Minimum stay 3 nights.

Note: Until confirmed, rates are subject to change without notice.

• Credit Cards Accepted:

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Property Photos

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Guest Comments (16)

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• 11/14/09
  Positive Rating
  darl kleinbach , USA West Coast
  • Tanaka-san made us very comfortable in his Hanare-style guesthouse.It is a roomy and elegant space in traditional Japanese style. Quiet, private, convenient and beautifully appointed. Tanaka-san even brought us extra futons because our old hips were complaining. After that it was perfect. He also brought us a list of Kyoto antique fairs and flea markets which we used and enjoyed. Thanks so much.
• 10/28/09
  Positive Rating
  John Gilmore , St. Paul Minnesota
  • Do yourself a favor and stay here. The guesthouse is sublime, the Tanaka's gracious and friendly and the Arashiyama area is the only place to stay in Kyoto for the most authentic Japanese experience. Try a small restaurant just up the road, "Aoi," for a yudofu lunch. Not a lot of English is spoken here but don't let that hold you back. A friend and I stayed here this month and could not have been more delighted. I will be coming back as soon as possible.
• 10/26/09
  Positive Rating
  Kristine , Oxford, UK
  • We found the Hanare House to be a magical place with all the amenities you could want. We stayed there in July 2009 for 5 days with our two little children (2+5), who were also enchanted. The attention to detail was great (I am still searching for similarly soft bed linen) and Tokuji, the owner, very helpful and knowledgeable. We also loved the location close to the Unesco World Heritage Site Tenryu-ji temple, the bamboo forest, the fishermen with their cormorants (a must evening outing) and lovely Arashiyama. Central Kyoto was easy to reach with a pleasant tram ride.
• 10/18/09
  Positive Rating
  
  • My husband and I were fortunate to stay at the lovely Arashiyama Hanare for six days. We very much appreciated our gracious host,the beautiful traditional Japanese decor, and the peace and quiet. Arahiyama has much to offer tourists, especially its temples and natural scenic beauty. It is also very quick and easy to hop a frequent train to central Kyoto or beyond, as we did. We enthusiastically recommend Arashiyama Hanare as a place for tourists or business persons to stay. R. P. & L. P. from Western Canada
• 10/13/09
  Positive Rating
  ,
  • This is a lovely and well cared for little house. We particularly enjoyed staying in it for its basic Japanese style (be prepared for sleeping on matresses on the floor). It is in a really lovely location, a short walk from a beautiful spot with a river, mountains and forests. It is also convenient as you can bet basic necessities within walking distance and can access the center of Kyoto easily by the local train. Thank you for welcoming us so well.We had a lovely few days. Our baby particularly enjoyed crawling at speed around the house. The only issue we had was storage space, particularly in the kitchen. We have already recommended this house to friends and would come again.
• 09/26/09
  Positive Rating
  ania and lane , milwaukee, wi, usa.
  • i can't imagine a better place to stay during a first half of our first trip to japan (surely not last). place was so calm and in tune with nature outside (even air conditioner was making wind noise), not to mention amazing interior that i used to admire only in japanese interior design books. can't ask for better area, beautiful gardens so well taken cafe of, and so close to kyoto center. host was very helpful and interested in our plans for our stay, full of helpful advice. for the most part we didn't even want to leave the house, just hang around on tatami mats and drink tea. it's hard though, kyoto is beautiful and full of things to do and see. one thing, nearby bank - they don't speak english so the process of exchanging money was a pain, you need to have arashiyama guesthouse address on you and be prepared to do some paperwork. we didn't eat out in this area, but this one time we went to coffee shop nearby JR station - cheese toast and coffee was amazing (and it's the only breakfast place around that has menu in english, i think). i would stay there millions times more, each time i am in kyoto. the whole process of renting the place was a breeze as well, thank you curtis.
• 09/16/09
  Positive Rating
  Ken Karger , Arlington, Texas
  • Wow, what a neat place. I lived in Japan as a young man for two years and this was so reminiscent of my stay back then. The town is a little ways out of Kyoto (fifteen minute train ride) but that is what you really want. The little guest house was perfect for my wife and I. We are in our fifties so sleeping on a futon had our attention before we got there. Our bed at home cost around $5000 so we had some trepidation about sleeping on the floor. Well, forget that. We slept like logs. They were comfortable and cozy and romantic and representative of a era where simplicity trumped decadence. We cannot say enough good things about our 7 night stay there. You do have to plan a day trip to Uji and a day in Nara. Uji was spectacular. A train ride to Kameoka and boat ride back was worth every penny. Thanks so much Tokuji Takanaka for being such a gracious host.
• 08/20/09
  Positive Rating
  J, R and Y , New York, NY, U.S.A.
  • All of us, including our 5 year old son, enjoyed our stay at Arashiyama Hanare tremendously. We appreciate this opportunity to experience this wonderful house which is authentic and serene in every detail, yet very comfortable to use. We also thank the owner's hospitality. As somebody wrote down, he was attentive yet not-too-intrusive, meaning just perfect. The neighborhood Sagano-Arashiyama area was very beautiful and special place. I could easily imagine why this place is well loved by ancient aristocrats as well as anybody in modern days. Also, it was very easy for us to go to Kyoto central area by train. Thank you!
• 07/21/09
  Positive Rating
  Amy Gift , Vernon, CT, USA
  • The Arashiyama Hanare was a great spot to spend a 3-day weekend! We loved the traditional decor of paper screens, tatami mats and a beautiful garden, coupled with the modern amenities of air conditioning and a spacious bath. The Hanare is conveniently located, about 8 minutes from the JR Saga Arashiyama station, within 5-15 minutes of many excellent restaurants and shops, and also very close to the major temples and bamboo forest. Downtown Kyoto is less than 30 minutes by JR train. The Tanaka family are perfect hosts! They ensured the Hanare had everything we might need, were available for questions, and yet provided the right amount of privacy for our stay.
• 07/11/09
  Positive Rating
  John G. , Mt. Martha, Victoria, Australia
  • Arashiyama Hanare is the sweetest and most peaceful place to stay that anyone could wish for. Located only a few minutes from the Randen streetcar we found we could use it to easily access all the sites of Kyoto, retreating at the end of the day to our Hanare. The owner was very attentive without being intrusive and helped us to experience the gentleness of Japan we hoped we would find.

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