Charming traditional home

Guest: Abeth (Buena Vista CO USA)
Date of Stay: 03/28/11 Review Submitted: 05/23/11

We were looking to stay in a traditional Japanese Home and were not disappointed. The owner picked us up at our previous lodging, a nice convenience on a chilly Kyoto day. He and his business partner oriented us to the spacious home with comfortable tatami rooms for sleeping. The Home has up to date sanitary facilities with a window from the bath into the garden. We enjoyed the traditional architecture of the entry and the Tatami Living room, and we were charmed by the "snow viewing window", a small sliding opening in the large paper screen in the living room through which we could see the meticulously pruned, flowering camelia. Had we wanted to do much cooking, we would have liked a more streamlined kitchen. But the Kitchen was quite adequate for our needs. The Neighborhood was wonderful for exploring Kyoto's culinary and historical treasures. We were able to walk to any number of attractions. Public transportation, too, was within easy reach. In fact, The business partner walked us to the nearby bus stop that took us to Kyoto station in the most direct fashion. We would recommend a stay in this home for anyone who appreciates traditional Japan.

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

Integrity and Kindness

Guest: Sara (Boulder, CO)
Date of Stay: 03/01/11 Review Submitted: 03/22/11

I am impressed by the integrity and understanding of Kazuya, who manages this machiya. We had booked 7 nights for April, 2011. Three weeks before our scheduled arrival, the earthquake-tsunami-nuclear disaster struck. We agonized about whether to come, and reluctantly decided we couldn't. We had already paid a deposit and our contract said it was not refundable. But when we explained our reasons, Kazuya immediately gave us a full refund and urged us to come at a future time. We definitely will! And we encourage others to enjoy this townhome, knowing they'll be in the hands of people who are honest, warm, and decent.

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

Renter Be Aware!

Guest: Reenee (Kihei, Maui, Hawaii)
Date of Stay: 11/27/10 Review Submitted: 12/26/10

We were in Kyoto in November 2010 and stayed in another Machiya that was delightful. We decided to stay a few extra nights so we selected this accommodation (#252462) because it was available on short notice. If we had it to do all over again, we would have avoided renting this house. Kaz, the owner's business coordinator/representative, was very nice, and he went out of his way to accommodate our last minute booking, including coming in person to collect a cash payment. He was very gracious and kind. His English is very good so communicating with a house representative should not be a concern for a prospective renter. Our concern relates to the house itself. It was not so inexpensive as to excuse some of the conditions we found. Granted, we rented on short notice, but the owner did have 24 hours advance notice of our arrival. In general, the house was not well cleaned at all. The kitchen area is antiquated and quite dirty. There were cobwebs here and there, hair on the kotatsu blanket and floor, plastic coverings over some of the furniture, and the kitchen table is an antique chest that is knee to hip height. There are only small stools to sit on around the kitchen "table" and there is no other western style seating in the house. There also is no sunken well to extend your legs into. The computer is set on an old sewing machine with a small rattan stool in the kitchen. This place needs a proper kitchen table, a deep cleaning, and some de-cluttering. The guest use instructions are pretty good. The owner is nice, but she has obviously had some bad renters in the past, and she arrived earlier than our agreed upon departure time to inspect the house before we left. It is in a charming neighborhood - close to many restaurants and sightseeing attractions. Because it is an older building it actually can be a bit noisy as you can hear through the walls. The stairs are steep and shallow - be aware please if you have limited movement or bad knees or hips. Just half a block away from the Randen station is a fantastic little tiny Italian pasta restaurant. Please look for it as the proprietors serve some of the best pasta in the world and you can laugh at their translations. It's a cozy and enjoyable find. I think the lack of photos in this ad reflect the fact that there are not many aspects of this home that would look good to show. This would not be our first choice under different circumstances. We would look elsewhere for future visits.

Recommended for:Tourists without a car, sightseeing.

Excellent location, full amenities

Guest: Big City Reviewer (Chicago, IL, USA)
Date of Stay: 08/12/10 Review Submitted: 08/30/10

Our family of six - two full-sized teenage boys, one medium-sized, one small and two adults - pushed the occupancy limits with no problems at all. The kitchen had plenty of basics for serving breakfast, and the separate shower/toilet made clean-up time very easy. The air-conditioned second bedroom held all four boys. The smaller room became a bit warm in the record heat, so we moved the two adults to the air-conditioned first floor. The location is great - excellent restaurants and shops are just outside the door, post-office with ATM another door after those. Short walks to several wonderful sites and bus-rides to others. As big city dwellers, we prefer to be away from the tourists, so found the location to be perfect. Kazuya was an excellent host, very easy to contact and willing to answer any question. He provided very detailed and clear maps, and event calendars. We thoroughly enjoyed our stay!

Recommended for:Tourists without a car, sightseeing, families with young children, families with teenagers.

Guest: Mark Miller2 (Los Angeles, CA)
Date of Stay: 01/21/10 Review Submitted: 01/21/10

Very cute and clean house, with everything you would need for a short stay. It is located very close to public transportation, sights and a grocery market. The owner was very kind and helpful in providing us with information about the city. My girlfriend and I stayed during the Cherry Blossom season - absolutely amazing!

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Guest: Courtney Metzger (Evansville, IN)
Date of Stay: 10/04/09 Review Submitted: 10/04/09

This home (Roco Roji) was really amazing. The traditional style of it really set the tone for our trip in Kyoto. The pictures just can't do it justice; it truly looks like a movies set. My husband and I stayed for 4 nights in Sept 2009. We found the buses very easy to navigate and many restaurants within walking distance. Kazuya and the owner were both so pleasant and incredibly helpful. They were so wonderful to us.

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Guest: Cate (Columbus, Ohio)
Date of Stay: 07/12/09 Review Submitted: 07/12/09

We enjoyed our stay in this traditional Japanese townhouse. My two children loved it, including sitting and sleeping Japanese style on the tatami mat floors, and the townhouse is on a historical alley with lots of character. We walked to the Golden Pavilion and Ryoanji from here with children ages ten and eight, so it is certainly walkable. We took buses to other parts of Kyoto or walked to the subway station (that is a longer walk but you can take the bus).

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