Vacation Rentals by Owner

Serene homebase in Kyoto

Guest: Julie (Brisbane)
Date of Stay: 04/23/12 Review Submitted: 05/12/12

Tokuji-san's Hanare is a beautiful traditional house, and a perfect homebase for the second part of our stay in Kyoto. Tokuji-san is very welcoming and helpful, providing lots of detailed information to help you make the most of your stay in this beautiful area (including some great eating recommendations). He's on hand if you need help, but otherwise leaves you to enjoy the peace and privacy of this tranquil haven. We loved staying in Arashiyama: it's a western suburb of Kyoto with beautiful temples, surrounded by green hills and a lovely river - and yet it's also got fantastic and flexible transport connections to Kyoto and Osaka (including three different train lines and a bus service, not to mention great walking tracks and bike paths) . We actually felt better-connected with transport here than when staying in the Gojo area near the city centre! We loved staying here, and hope we can return one day. Thank you Tokuji-san, for creating such a lovely traditional home for visitors to Kyoto :-)

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

Home Away from Home

Guest: wongh24 (San Francisco)
Date of Stay: 03/25/12 Review Submitted: 04/08/12

This was my first trip to Kyoto and I was committed to staying in a traditional ryokan during this trip. We found the perfect home away from home at Arashiyama - at the home of Tokuji-san and his family. We traveled for almost 24 straight hours to arrive in Arashiyama around 11:30pm. Tokuji-san's ryokan is about a 5 minute walk from the JR train and understanding that we're tired, Tokuji waived the check-in process. This ryokan was quaint, very clean, and well stocked with everything that we needed. Tokuji even made reservations for us to Moss Garden. Thanks for a great stay and we'll definitely stay here again if we make it back to Kyoto!

Recommended for:Tourists without a car, romantic getaway.

Charming Machiya in Arashiyama

Guest: Jessica (Victoria, Australia)
Date of Stay: 11/30/11 Review Submitted: 12/06/11

We spent our last 3 nights of our 2 week holiday in this enchanting Machiya, it was both a great way to finish our holiday and the best place we stayed on the trip. From the moment we walked in, we fell in love, with the traditional style of the design and the tranquil garden, plus the bonus of a modern toilet and bath that talked to us :) The area guide folder with restaurant recommendations, maps and transport timetables was awesome, all the resources you require, a great extra provided by a great host, Tokuji Tanaka. Tokuji per-organized a trip to moss garden for us (and Katsura imperial palace, although it was all booked out), this was a very valuable service, as i'm not sure we would have been able to organize it, and it was certainly a highlight of our trip. Tokuji is a great host and a lovely fellow, he made the whole process of booking and organizing trips, plus providing info, so easy, as he is a great email communicator and very easy going. I would highly recommend staying here, it is sure to impress and charm. Arishiyama is a great area also, with so much to see, 3 days was certainly not enough time, next time we will stay for a few weeks. Thanks :)

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

Fantastic home away from home!

Guest: Claudia (Oakland, Ca. USA)
Date of Stay: 10/15/11 Review Submitted: 10/24/11

My husband and I loved our short stay at Hanare House! The Tanakas keep the house so perfectly clean and have thought of everything you might need. Since I had lived in Japan almost thirty years ago and was finally having the opportunity to come back for a visit, it was the perfect place to stay and enjoy a truly Japanese style home (with the added comfort of a very modern western toilet), including a beautiful flower arrangement that gradually unfolded during our stay. We had the best day of our time in Japan just wandering on foot from the house to see Tenryuji Temple, the bamboo forest, and stroll along the river. We were lucky to encounter a festival we hadn't known about which involved people dressed in traditional imperial garb and ceremonial dance and music! Then we crossed the river to a lovely, old fashioned restaurant, where we had a delicious and not too expensive meal. Though our guide book suggested we might not find places to eat in Arashiyama, there were many restaurants, but I would suggest you eat on the early side, as things did seem to shut down early. The nights were perfectly silent and we slept very well.

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

A True Gem in Lovely, Peaceful and Welcoming Arashiyama

Guest: aroye (Tulsa Oklahoma)
Date of Stay: 10/06/11 Review Submitted: 12/29/11

This was my first trip to Japan, and where I spent my first night in Japan. Traveling to Japan has been a lifelong dream, and I could not have been more fortunate than to have found myself in such a peaceful and perfectly appointed traditional machiya. Tanaka-san and his lovely family have created a haven for travelers seeking to immerse themselves in traditional architecture and lifestyle, while providing all the modern amenities that can make a stay truly comfortable. The machiya is immaculate, and Tanaka-san takes the time to make sure you are familiar with all the appliances and appointments, and goes through a book he has put together listing out all you might need during your stay. Fortunately for me, his English is very good. I arrived at night, and awoke the next morning to see a beautiful courtyard garden laid out before me. If you are a student of Japanese residential architecture, you will be happy to see Tanaka-san has gone to great lengths to preserve the integrity of the home - from the doma, or packed earth floor of the kitchen, to the beautiful tatami and the stunning pendant lights throughout. While there are tons of things to do in Arashiyama along the traditional sightseeing, and certainly some of the most beautiful small temples to be found in Kyoto, I have to say my favorite time sent there was simply walking around the neighborhoods, especially on a Sunday. Staying at Hanare House gave me a sense of the community as a whole. There are not throngs of tourists about. And while the rest of Kyoto is certainly accessible - Randen station is a five minute walk at most - it felt more like I was staying in a smaller town where I could truly get a sense of the ebb and flow of daily Japanese life. About six minutes away you have the Post Office for cash, and on the same corner you can get THE best shaved coffee ice cream and find a bike rental place. Towards the river you can catch the bus. Tenruji is worth the visit, and you can exit through the 'Bamboo Forest' which is really a lane, best very early or late. Gio-ji is not to be missed and the Sagano Doll Museum is a treasure, even without Japanese reading skill. And each evening when you return, you have the peace and beauty of Hanare House awaiting, as well as a stunning ikebana arrangement from the skillful hands of Tanaka-san's wife. And that lovely lovely tub!

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

Another wonderful visit

Guest: Paul, Chie, Hajime and Jeanne (Portland, Oregon USA)
Date of Stay: 09/06/11 Review Submitted: 09/27/11

This is our second visit to Arashiyama Hanare, once in the Winter and once in the Summer. There is so much to see just walking distance from the Machiya, that we will have to come back again to see it all. Tanaka san and his family are wonderful hosts. At the end of the day, we always enjoyed the tranquility of returning home to Arashiyama Hanare.

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

Great Location and Best Food Recommendations in Japan!

Guest: Felicia and Erik (Portland, Oregon, USA)
Date of Stay: 07/22/11 Review Submitted: 08/23/11

We stayed at the Hanare House recently and were very happy with the house itself and the surrounding neighborhood. The Arashiyama area was everything we hoped Kyoto would be: small streets with traditional houses, close proximity to various historic sites and public transit, and friendly people. The best part of our stay here was the food. We followed the owners' recommendations and went to four of the local restaurants and had some of the most incredibly delicious food in Japan - heck, we are serious foodies and I think our meals there were some of the BEST I've ever had! One thing that wasn't mentioned in the owners' book, but we highly recommend, is stopping by the cracker/nut shop next to the grocery store and around the corner from the yakitori place; we had the freshest and tastiest roasted cashews and wasabi peas there and it's a great place to get snacks. The Hanare House was truly fantastic and I highly recommend staying there while you are in Kyoto!

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

Our Japanese Home

Guest: Robert (Seattle, WA USA)
Date of Stay: 05/19/11 Review Submitted: 05/31/11

We stayed for a week at the wonderful Arashiyama Hanare in May 2011. The owner has prepared a wonderful house for guests. It is extremely clean, tranquil, and welcoming. It is a nice mix of historic Japanese, mixed with modern amenities - like the incredible talking bathtub. Every night, after a long day of exploring beautiful Kyoto, it was such a pleasure to return to our Japanese home, take a bath, and fall into our futons. We loved the neighborhood. Very quiet, but close to a lot of restaurants, transportation, and the supermarket. Everyone in the neighborhood was very nice to us. The Arashiyama area has a lot to see and do, but isn't as overrun with tourists as other areas of Kyoto. We loved the bamboo forest, the Hozu Rvier boat trip, and the small temples in the area. The host is wonderful. He provided good information for us in advance, helped us a few times with questions during our stay, while respecting our privacy. He's a very nice guy and very interesting to chat with. We truly loved staying here. And really hope that sometime we can return and stay longer.

Recommended for:Age 55+, tourists without a car, romantic getaway, sightseeing.

A nice stay in a traditional machiya (25-28 April 2011)

Guest: Guido (Turin, Italy)
Date of Stay: 04/25/11 Review Submitted: 05/14/11

Hanare is a true Japanese traditional house that will give you a real taste of Japanese life. Absolutely spic and span and well equipped, located in what must be one of the nicest and quietest areas in Kyoto, it will be a good base camp for your excursions in the rest of the city, but don't forget to explore the numerous small temples up the hillside in Arashiyama, much more intimate and meditative than the larger ones. Waking up in the morning with a view on the small garden is a boon that makes for a better day ahead. You will have to come to terms with a decidedly tiny wash basin, but that is really the only fault I could endeavour to find with this splendid house. The owner and his family will also kindly assist in any special need you may have. Guido & Miriam, Turin, Italy

Recommended for:Tourists without a car, sightseeing.

Great Location, Wonderful, Quiet Traditional Accommodation

Guest: EndlessTravelWishes (Victoria, BC, Canada)
Date of Stay: 04/02/11 Review Submitted: 04/28/11

Our first VRBO rental and it was perfect. We had a wonderful 8 nights here in early April and we could easily have stayed longer. We loved the traditional home and the soaker tub and Western toilet with all the Japanese bells and whistles were luxurious touches. Tokuji happily supplied us with an extra layer of futon the 2nd night and that was very comfortable. Tokuji gave us lots of information on local sights, restaurants, and transportation. We splurged our first night in Arashiyama going to the nearby restaurant Matsu. Tokuji kindly offered to drive us there and we took a short taxi ride home. The owner, his wife and adult children along with the rest of the staff made this a very enjoyable evening and the delicious variety of food was worth every Yen. We also had several very tasty meals at Jizake (a short walk)—the chef / owner fed us a wonderful sampling of dishes. (As a previous reviewer mentioned, try the stuffed chicken wings!!) Tokuji pre-booked visits to the Shugakuin Imperial Villa and Moss Temple—lovely gardens. Other highlights for us: Kinkaku-ji Temple (The Golden Pavilion), Ryoani-ji Temple and Ninna-ji Temple; Katsura Imperial Villa; Ginkaku-ji (Silver Pavilion) and the Philosopher's walk especially beautiful during the cherry bloom; Kodaiji Temple; Heian Shrine and gorgeous gardens; strolling Higashiyama-ku, Gion—the canal with the daily changing trees was a favourite walk that we kept going back to and where we had several real Geisha/Maiko spottings...however, it was always nice to get away from the crowds and come home to our quiet abode. Don't forgot this area—Arashiyama! Tenrji Temple, the Bamboo grove, Ohkouchi Sansou Garden, the Sagano Romantic train with a return by 2 hour tour on the Hozu River, and simply strolling along the park and riverbank by the Togetsukyo Bridge are all wonderful experiences. Easy day trips: Nara (part day) and a long day trip to Hiroshima / Miyajima—make sure to go up Mt Misen. If more time we would have done a day trip to Koyasan—as it was we didn't see half of what there was to see in Kyoto. Tokuji was there when we had questions, but otherwise invisible...a perfect host!! On top of everything else, he went way beyond our expectations when he made a bus reservation for travel between Takayama and Shirakawago and when he forwarded our big piece of luggage to the airport for us while we spent our last few days in the country. We would highly recommend this property and we would definitely return!

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

Unique Experience

Guest: Grandma Betty (Jackson, MI, USA)
Date of Stay: 02/20/11 Review Submitted: 03/04/11

We just got home from a wonderful experience in Japan staying in Arashiyama at the traditional Machiya Hanare house. It was truly a unique experience. A very serene, quiet, almost meditative stay. Excellent access to transportation to see Kyoto. Our host was very helpful, including spotting us on the street in Kyoto and offering us a ride to the garden we were seeking. A great experience.

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

A Serene Place

Guest: Michelle (Belgium / Taiwan)
Date of Stay: 02/13/11 Review Submitted: 02/21/11

Traveling with a little child is not easy, but we tried in the past 2 years as much as possible. And the ever best place is here, actually the place is even not in the downtown, but locates in a very peaceful&beautiful area where makes us everyday want to come home earlier. Finest arrangement for the guest, in the meanwhile we also feel very independent as feeling like having an own house. From the kitchen to the first room, main room/living, corridor(with a very Japanese botanic view), terrace, nice bathroom.. Tanaka family has done this house in the most traditional details but as well modernized. Thank you very much for you hosting, an excellent place. p.s I didn't mention much about the rest details, like transportation or others, mostly you can find from the above comments. details.

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

Beautiful and Tranquil

Guest: Sabina (Melbourne, Australia)
Date of Stay: 01/17/11 Review Submitted: 02/08/11

My son and I, and a friend were fortunate to spend five peaceful quiet nights at Arashiyiama Hanare. We arrived late at night and were delighted to wake up the next morning looking onto the private garden and courtyard. The house itself is in a particularly beautiful area with many great places to visit and all easily walkable. The train station is only five minutes away, and you really appreciate coming home to the tranquillity of Arashiyama after spending a very busy day in the hustle and bustle of downtown Kyoto. The deep bath was a real pleasure to relax in after a tiring day of sightseeing. Arashiyama was certainly a highlight of our trip, and I would highly recommend staying there to anyone wanting a traditional Japanese experience.

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

Traditional Japanese experience

Guest: Cathy (Gold Coast, Australia)
Date of Stay: 12/31/10 Review Submitted: 01/08/11

My husband and teenage son and I stayed at this beautiful Hanare for only 2 nights,far too short! I would recommend at least 1 week here,fortunately,we have been to Kyoto previously,however the Arashiyama district is so beautiful,we would have liked to have stayed longer. Tokuji and his wife were so helpful and kind,I had broken my leg skiing only 2 days prior to arriving at Arashiyama,if they hadn't organized Wheelchair,I would have been housebound. It was snowing when we arrived,it was so beautiful. The bathroom was exceptional,cooking facilities were fine for us,bedding was veer comfortable. I would highly recommend staying here,preferably without a broken leg,and at least 1week.

Recommended for:Families with teenagers

Perfect stay

Guest: Jarrah (Melbourne, Australia)
Date of Stay: 12/04/10 Review Submitted: 12/19/10

I am so thankful that my wife and I found this place. It was perfect to have our own place to come to in a quiet little street out of the city. The house is un-fault-able with awesome modern bath, toilet, washer/dryer, microwave/grill and heater/air con. But is still very traditional. Quiet street, plenty of eating streets just a few blocks away. If we get back to Kyoto, we will be back to Hanare, no doubt.

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

Lovely and Traditional

Guest: Lori (Tucson, Arizona USA)
Date of Stay: 11/24/10 Review Submitted: 12/07/10

My husband, six year old son and I had the pleasure of staying at the machiya hanare in arashiyama last month. We appreciated all the attention to detail (ikebana, beautiful ceramics), privacy and comfort. The owners are gracious and helpful. Location is fantastic...a short walk to temples, bamboo forest, shops, teahouses, restaurants and spectacular scenery. Stay here if you can! Nakano Family

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

Magical stay

Guest: Sobo (Detroit, MI/USA)
Date of Stay: 11/08/10 Review Submitted: 12/07/10

My husband and I felt very fortunate to stay at the Arashiyama Hanare. Wonderfully private, quiet and serene, it provided the perfect place to return to after exploring the beautiful temples and gardens of Kyoto. The owner Tanaka-san has done a beautiful job of restoring the hanare. Updating some features, while keeping the traditional features alive. We particularly enjoyed staying in a quiet neighborhood with great connections to various parts of Kyoto. Tanaka -san is a perfect host, available if you need him, but invisible otherwise. He kindly made last minute arrangements for us to visit the Moss Temple and Katsura Imperial Villa. He provided a list of places in the neighborhood-organic bakery, post office, supermarket etc along with a great map. Be sure to go to JIZAKE and KOKORO. Great food, accommodating hosts(we speak please and thank you Japanese) who served beautiful delicious meals. The Arashiyama Hanare with its wonderful bath was a perfect retreat at the end of the day. This was my first time using VRBO and I was anxious about the experience. Now I am not sure anything will ever be able to top this. If we are lucky enough to make it back to Kyoto, we will certainly return to Arashiyama Hanare.

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

Beautiful space

Guest: Cat (Taos, NM, USA)
Date of Stay: 10/19/10 Review Submitted: 10/26/10

We felt very at home in our guest house. The garden view, shoji doors, beautiful walls, tokonomo, tatami mats, modern fixtures, and quiet neighborhood all combined to make this place perfect. Our host was very warm, helpful and he suggested some garden tours that we might otherwise have missed. It was always good to return to such a beautiful place after a day of walking.

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

What a Beautiful Place to Stay!

Guest: Erin (Boston, MA)
Date of Stay: 09/26/10 Review Submitted: 10/14/10

My husband and I rented this guest house for a week in late September. As an architect and a designer we were enamored by the beautiful details in each room. The home was so lovely that we have already recommended it to all of our closest friends. Staying in Kyoto for the week was truly the best part of our vacation to Japan.

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

Lovely place

Guest: Anna (Melbourne, Australia)
Date of Stay: 09/17/10 Review Submitted: 10/07/10

My family and I absolutely loved the Hanare and were sad to leave. I booked the Hanare and my parents were very hesitant to stay in Japanese style accomodation. But after our week long stay, we all loved the little house so much, we were sad to leave. Hanare was incredibly quiet, clean and relaxing. I had the best week of sleep of my whole 6 week Japan trip in that house with the soft tatamis, fresh air and absolute quiet to wake up looking at the peaceful green garden in the morning. It had all the modern amenities, down to wireless internet. The kitchen is old japanese style, but the stove, while incredibly easy to use, was so high-tech, we were curious enough to google how it worked and my dad is thinking of installing one at home :). All japanese appliances have very helpful stickers with english translations. The Hanare is within 5 to 10 min walk to so many activities in Arashiyama with all the bamboo forests, boats, temples, monkeys, hot springs and very fast transit into central Kyoto. Tokuji, the owner, was incredibly helpful with everything from sorting out the contract and payments to additional accomodation for our extended family to setting up internet and storing our luggage before we left. Very attentive and available to help whenever needed. Tokuji also provided an incredibly helpful restaurant and amenities list of the area that we used continuously. Recommended restaurants such as Jizake had a brilliant chef who took up the challenge and succeeded to get my parents to love Japanese food. It was so good (try the chicken wings), we came back 3 times! Kokoro restaurant has delicious food, sushimi and sake selection...if you're feeling adventurous, try the raw chicken specialty. Also in the area to try: Shigetsu (buddhist vegeterian for when you're really hungry), inside the Tenruyji temple and Okonomyaki place for delicious easy lunch (in front of entrance to Tenruyji, at the corner of main tourist street and the post office street). Plan to come back and would highly recommend this property for anyone looking for a japanese living experience and is looking for a relaxing stay in Kyoto.

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

Arashiyama Hanare

Guest: EB and JJ (Brooklyn, NY)
Date of Stay: 08/30/10 Review Submitted: 09/07/10

We stayed at the Arashiyama Hanare for four days at the end of August and it was really wonderful. At the end of our stay our only complaint was that we hadn't allotted more time in Kyoto/ Arashiyama. The house was easy to find, it was private and very well-maintained, the owner was very hospitable, and the surrounding area was lovely. If you are visiting Kyoto this is a perfect place to stay because Arashiyama itself is such a nice place to visit, and it is very convenient for traveling into downtown Kyoto for further sight-seeing. Really cannot recommend it enough. We hope to return soon!

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

The best

Guest: Dawn and Stephen (Boston)
Date of Stay: 07/21/10 Review Submitted: 10/13/10

If you want to stay in a machiya while you visit Kyoto, this s the place. I have read through the other guests' reviews and nothing has been exaggerated. It is peaceful, it is beautiful, it is convenient. We stayed in three different places when we were in Kyoto and this is the one that we would have chosen for the whole trip if it had been available. We went to see the Cormorant fishing, but just watched from the shore near where the boats waited for the tourist boats to be ready. One of the fisherman took our camera and took a closeup of the birds waiting in the front of the boat. An Australian friend, who teaches in Tokyo, took me to the onsen on Shijo. It was amazing and I recommend it highly. Following the guidelines: Yes, I would recommend it to a friend. Yes, the owner was helpful and friendly. It is perhaps more beautiful and more tranquil than the photos. It was immaculately clean.

Recommended for:Age 55+, tourists without a car, romantic getaway, sightseeing.

Serene and Romantic

Guest: Jo (Northern California)
Date of Stay: 07/16/10 Review Submitted: 07/22/10

We highly recommend that anyone visiting Japan take at least three days to experience the serenity of this Hanare in Arashiyama. The owners made certain that we were comfortable in every way. This is an ideal way to experience Japan of yesterday. The guest house is the perfect combination of authentic hanare with the most modern bathroom amenities. The people and sights of Arashiyama are so wonderful. You can walk the bamboo path and experience complete tranquility in the park on your way to the energetic river. At the bridge are many shops and restaurants if you crave excitement. Personally, we frequented the restaurants that the townspeople did and were very pleased. We plan to return to the Arashiyama Hanare each time we are fortunate enough to return to Japan. In the meantime, we will rave about it to all of our friends.

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

Peaceful and Traditional Style with Modern Conveniences

Guest: Anne (West Hartford, CT USA)
Date of Stay: 06/29/10 Review Submitted: 07/10/10

My husband and I and our 19 year old daughter stayed here for 5 nights in June/July 2010. We enjoyed our first experience of sleeping on futons that get rolled out at night on the tatami mats. The design of the house is simple and peaceful, with a view of a small garden. We like cooking once in a while on vacation so were pleased to find a spotless kitchen with quality cookware. Also, there is a decent sized grocery store within easy walking distance. The bathroom area was luxurious with a large shower area and deep bath. All the controls were carefully labeled in English. The location of the house was perfect...in a quiet outskirt of Kyoto with a small town feel, but with easy walking access to the trains to quickly get us to all the main tourist areas. Overall, a great experience!

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

Beautiful traditional house

Guest: Ellen (London, UK)
Date of Stay: 06/25/10 Review Submitted: 07/07/10

We had a lovely stay in this beautiful house, and we were really pleased to have chosen to experience a more traditional place to stay rather than hotel rooms. It is modern, comfortable and was very clean and tidy. The owners had provided fantastic amount of information in English, and this plus internet access made it easy for us to plan our stay and to enjoy the area. Arashiyama itself was a great place to stay - it was very easy to get into Kyoto, especially if you have a JR pass, and we enjoyed having somewhere quiet and away from bustle of the city to come home to every night. It was quiet and comfortable enough for us to accidentally sleep until midday one day! The owner was very helpful on arrival and we knew was available if we had questions. We like to have our privacy and in the end we didn't see them at all during our stay - it felt like we were in a really private home. I would definitely recommend a visit!

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

Wonderful - Wonderful

Guest: Jan and Jean (Midwest of the USA)
Date of Stay: 06/20/10 Review Submitted: 07/07/10

My sister and I had a wonderful time at the Hanare House. The accomodations were superb and the helpfulness of the family was very much appreciated. It was great to be able to cook as well as relax after a long day of activities. The help with procurring the Moss Temple/Garden and Imperial Villa invites went above and beyond. Next time I come and stay I will make it to the Imperial Villa. 3 nights was not quite enough to do all that we wanted.

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

Beautiful and quiet place to stay!

Guest: mishmish (San Francisco)
Date of Stay: 06/02/10 Review Submitted: 06/18/10

We stayed in Arashiyama Hanare for 7 days - and it was wonderful! We are a family of three, with three years old daughter. The space was perfect for our family and we all enjoyed the old Japanese style living. The place is really clean and pretty. We loved having the view of Japanese garden in front of our bedroom/living room. We spent most of our time there while we were at home. Kitchen was nicely organized and good for simple cooking. If you do cook a lot and if you are taller, the sink might be a little bit of challenge because of the old style very low sink. I am 5 foot 4 and had to cook quite a lot for my daughter - and washing dishes became a little tough on my back. I contacted the owner almost everyday for some small questions and requests - he was very responsive and helpful. The location is wonderful - Kyoto is definitely calmer and much quieter than Tokyo, but still downtown Kyoto can be a hastle. It was always nice to come back to Arashiyama and breathe cleaner air and stay in quieter area. If you will stay here with a small child like us, you will need to keep your eyes on your watch for rush hour. Arashiyama neighborhood still remains as beautiful old time Japan. You can rent bicycles and just wonder around the neighborhood of Hanare - beautiful river and bamboo grove, some amazing shrines, delicious restaurants and cafes. People were very nice, too! I will definitely recommend this place to other travelers. What a great time we had. Thank you Arashiyama Hanare!

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

Affordable, comfortable and beautiful

Guest: mizbermy (Smith's, Bermuda)
Date of Stay: 05/28/10 Review Submitted: 01/01/11

My stay at this house was exceptional - to say the least. I stayed at the Arashiyama house with two of my students and we enjoyed it tremendously. Our host was most gracious, providing us with maps of the area and treating us to breakfast on our first day of arrival. On our trip to Japan, we visited Tokyo, Kyoto, Osaka, and Nara. This was truly the best place that we stayed and we were sincerely sad to leave. The garden was simply beautiful and the neighbourhood was very tranquil. The breakfast spot that our hosts introduced us to never failed to entice our taste buds. We were conveniently close to a local bank, a post office, several convenience and sweet shops, as well as the train station. There is also a shopping area that is in close proximity and I highly recommend that you explore the area – it is well worth it! We had complete privacy and thoroughly enjoyed nightly soaks in the "spa". I highly recommend staying at the Arashiyama house!

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

Charming and authentic

Guest: difri (Ashland, KY )
Date of Stay: 05/14/10 Review Submitted: 05/23/10

Just returned from a 5-night stay. What a treasure! My daughter-in-law was thrilled to see the authentic details; her grandfather (an architect) stayed in Japan as a young man and later built his house in Utah with the Japanese influence very apparent. Two former guests assured me that I would not be disappointed and they were right! The host was very accomodating, even the bath soap was perfect! Extremely peaceful little neighborhood, exquisite yen garden, short walks to major sites and great shopping as well as the train station and buses very close by. The Tofu restaurants were wonderful. I stayed in a 5-star hotel in Tokyo and prefer this experience any day.

Recommended for:

Quiet, tradational and beautifully maintained

Guest: NYC180 (NYC)
Date of Stay: 04/27/10 Review Submitted: 05/03/10

This is a great find. It is traditional style as the description indicates, but you won't go without: bathroom and shower are modern and very clean, washer/dryer, everything is labeled very clearly in English. Tokuji (the host) is wonderful and has truly thought of everything. In the spring, when we were there, the garden has a lovely blooming tree outside, the neighborhood is quiet and quaint but easy to get to transportation. Highly recommended.

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

Wonderful

Guest: ALine-Tuan-Yann (La Ciotat/France)
Date of Stay: 04/05/10 Review Submitted: 04/22/10

We really enjoy our stay in the Hanare, it was very convenient with a lot of shops all around, there is also some of the most beautiful cherry blossom spot that can be see in spring, just next to the house. 20 minutes by train are needed to reach Kyoto's center, not that far but just enough to relax of the city noise. It was a great chance for us to experiment the japanese life style in this traditional house, we also appreciate the warm welcome of the Tanaka family and would recommend this house to anyone who wants to visit Kyoto. Merci beaucoup !

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

Guest: Rachel93 (Phoenix, AZ)
Date of Stay: 03/03/10 Review Submitted: 03/03/10

If we are completely honest, we only ended up choosing to stay at Arashiyama Hanare because we could not find any availability at any Kyoto hotels. I am so glad all the Kyoto hotels were full, as staying at the guest house is one of the highlights of our Japan/China trip. It was lovely to be able to stay in a traditional Japanese house and not just another generic hotel room. The location is fabulous, close enough to everything you need but far enough away to feel like you are seeing real Japan. We would return in a heartbeat.

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Guest: Larisa Patacchiola (Boston, MA)
Date of Stay: 02/12/10 Review Submitted: 02/12/10

Can't say enough good things about this terrific Hanare in the Arashiyama area of Kyoto! We loved our stay here and both my husband and I agree that this is by far our favorite part of Kyoto and the perfect location- especially if you are looking for a break from the hustle and bustle of Tokyo where we stayed just prior to coming here. Loved waking up to the birds singing in the bamboo garden each morning and having access to the washer and dryer was wonderful in itself. Also loved soaking in the bath...just like having your own private onsen. The attention to detail here is priceless and the linens and towels were top quality. I'm still seeking a similar table runner to the one on the entrance table as it was so beautiful. We have friends who are looking to visit in March and we will be highly recommending this place to them if not already taken. Of course, if we are fortunate to return again to Japan in the future, we'd definitely plan on staying here again ourselves. Thank you Tokuji!

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Guest: Patrick and Pansy (Houston, TX)
Date of Stay: 02/10/10 Review Submitted: 02/10/10

My wife and I had the most wonderful stay at the Arashiyama guesthouse in early Feb 2010. The house locates at a lovely and quiet residential neighborhood about 10 mins walk from the Saga- Arashiyama JR station. If one takes the JR Express service, it is only 15 mins from the Kyoto station. Thus, it is very conveniently located. The guesthouse is a traditional Japanese-styled house and offered us a taste of old Japan. It is tastefully decorated with all the modern facilities. Of course, we were most impressed with the super high-tech bath which we used for a relaxing bath after a day of walking and sight-seeing. Our hosts, the Tanaka family, are very warm and attentive. We were most impressed with our accommodation and would recommend this place to anyone who visits Kyoto.

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Guest: Deborah Wallace1 (San Mateo, CA)
Date of Stay: 01/31/10 Review Submitted: 01/31/10

My teen daughter and I spent 11 wonderful nights at the Arashiyama and found it much more comfortable than a standard hotel. The home is in a wonderful location--within easy walking distance of the train station, historic temples, the monkey park and other sites. The home is a also a great base for exploring the Kansai region. The Tanakas are gracious hosts...leaving special touches such as flower arrangements and even helped us get from the train station to the house. A highlight of the home (especially on a cold winter night!) is the deep, thoroughly modern Japanese tub. Overall, a great experience!

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Guest: Lori (Honolulu, HI)
Date of Stay: 12/31/09 Review Submitted: 12/31/09

We stayed at Arashiyama Hanare for 4 nights in December during the Winter Illumination “Hanatorou”. We normally travel to Japan once a year but this was the first time we actually stayed in a home versus a hotel room. Hanare is meticulously clean and we appreciated the extensive renovation to preserve the traditional Machiya house and yet seamlessly blend modern technology! What a wonderful experience it was to actually live in a residential neighborhood! Hanare is conveniently located in Arashiyama town but yet it’s a quick 20 minute train ride back to Kyoto city central. It was great exploring the city during the day, then retreat to our peaceful home at night! We especially loved riding Japan’s oldest streetcar on the Randen/Kitano line. We will definitely return but this time, for a longer visit! Thank you to the Tanakas for being such gracious hosts! Mahalo nui loa!

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Guest: Anonymous
Date of Stay: 12/09/09 Review Submitted: 12/09/09

Amazing. Simply amazing. We had a wonderful experience at the hanare-style guest house. The process was easy and the place was easy to find. It's as beautiful as the pictures and we were well- taken care of. It was hard to adjust back at home because this place has more modern amenities than my place! Arashiyama and this guest house is a hidden treasure. We are definitely coming back.

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Guest: Anonymous
Date of Stay: 11/25/09 Review Submitted: 11/25/09

Staying here was a highlight of our trip to Japan! We loved the bath and it was wonderful having a kitchen. Thanks for all your help making our stay perfect.

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Guest: Sarah139 (Denver, CO)
Date of Stay: 11/23/09 Review Submitted: 11/23/09

My friend and I had a fantastic time in Kyoto and were so happy we stayed in this house instead of a hotel. Everything was authentic but with modern conveniences, and the caring showed right down to the fresh persimmons and beaturiful lilies waiting for us when we arrived. The bedding was very good and the computer controlled bath was very nice. Attentive owner, everything was super-smooth. We will stay again when we come back to Japan!

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Guest: darl kleinbach (USA West Coast)
Date of Stay: 11/14/09 Review Submitted: 11/14/09

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.

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Guest: John Gilmore (St. Paul Minnesota)
Date of Stay: 10/28/09 Review Submitted: 10/27/09

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.

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Guest: Kristine10 (Oxford, UK)
Date of Stay: 10/26/09 Review Submitted: 10/26/09

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.

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Guest: Anonymous
Date of Stay: 10/18/09 Review Submitted: 10/18/09

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

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Guest: Anonymous
Date of Stay: 10/13/09 Review Submitted: 10/12/09

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.

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Guest: ania and lane (milwaukee, wi, usa.)
Date of Stay: 09/26/09 Review Submitted: 09/26/09

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.

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Guest: Ken Karger (Arlington, Texas)
Date of Stay: 09/16/09 Review Submitted: 09/16/09

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.

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Guest: J, R and Y (New York, NY, U.S.A.)
Date of Stay: 08/20/09 Review Submitted: 08/20/09

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!

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Guest: Amy Gift (Vernon, CT, USA)
Date of Stay: 07/21/09 Review Submitted: 07/21/09

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.

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Guest: John G.3 (Mt. Martha, Victoria, Australia)
Date of Stay: 07/11/09 Review Submitted: 07/10/09

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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Guest: April27 (-)
Date of Stay: 07/04/09 Review Submitted: 07/04/09

I wanted my family to have a traditional experience. Staying in this little treasure offered us just that...from the tatami mats, futons, traditional bath area, rice paper and glass doors and serene garden. Most of all it is located in a real neighborhood where we watched a family making tofu and bean paste. Our daughters loved the soy milk samples that they offered. The local people were so welcoming and helpful. We had many experiences like this. Tokujisan and his wife and kids were very helpful and friendly as well (I know if we lived there we'd be close friends!). There is so much to do in this area of Kyoto. Our top picks were the monkey park and the bamboo forest and the local temples. It was an easy train ride to the south where we saw Geisha girls and a few more lovely sights. I know that our family will never forget this adventure, neither will yours!

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