Traditional Kyoto House on the Kamogawa River

Description

Traditional, spacious two-story 1920s wooden house. Right on the Kamogawa river in a peaceful historic neighborhood in northern Kyoto, excellent views. Good transit connections: 500 meters to bus transit center and walking distance to the main subway line (12-15 minutes to downtown). Tatami rooms, 2 western beds + futons, modern kitchen, Japanese bath + shower, small garden, laundry. (For those who prefer central Kyoto, we have a small apartment downtown and another larger studio apartment that accommodates two.) Further detail: This is a very roomy house. The first-floor sleeping/living room is 16.4 sq. meters with tatami, double bed and/or Japanese futon and storage closet, air conditioning/heating, and sliding doors that can be opened out to include the adjacent spaces and garden. The second floor has a sitting room and furnished western bedroom with a queen-sized bed, with good views of the river directly in front and Mt. Hiei in the distance to the east. Balcony, Japanese bath, paper screens, finished earthen walls, and a side garden ("tsubo niwa"). In the middle of a row of townhouses inhabited by artists, teachers, businesspeople, and retirees. Across the river there is a commercial area with many grocery stores, coffee shops, and restaurants for all budgets. The Omiya shopping street parallel to the river, is very traditional, yet has new upscale cafes and restaurants, including one with (purportedly) a Michelin rating. The river location makes it easy to be active, walking, running, cycling, or just relaxing. Look for herons, cormorants, egret, hawks, and river muskrats--along with cyclists, runners, waders, and sunbathers. A 12-minute bike ride/30-minute walk north takes you to the mountains--follow the river up all the way to its source, a spring at a temple. There are plenty of temples and on a long walk you will always discover a couple of new ones. Note: The main living area downstairs and the upstairs bedroom is heated/air-conditioned, but the other spaces (kitchen, bath, hallways) are not. The house is very cold in winter, and by Kyoto standards cool in summer. This is a hundred-year old "organic" wood house; all the main rooms are tatami. The house shows its age; whether one finds this inviting/charming, or uncomfortable/shabby is a matter of taste. We have hosted guests from the U.S, Canada, Australia, and Europe for the past 13 years and would be happy to have you here. Guest reviews May 2018 We stayed at Katy’s place from late winter till mid spring overlapping the Sakura blossom season. It was surreal to do our morning run along the Kamo River, picnic along the riverbank and ride our rental bikes from her place to various cute cafes/coffee shops in Kyoto. As for the house itself, it is is not very well insulated which means the kitchen area could get as cold as the outside. Having said that, Katy has been super nice and offer us useful help/tips. We lived comfortably throughout our 2-month stay. Every good thing other guests said are true. The entire area is full of culture and history to explore. We also like it being a bit away from the crowded tourist area. This is the true Kyoto experience - lovely neighbors, beautiful river/parks, historic shrines... I will definitely recommend friends to stay at Katy’s place. April 2017 Katy's house is a beautifully located traditional Japanese home, directly at the Kamo river with it's lush green surroundings. Everything you need is there. It's a really beautiful walk/bike ride to downtown (around 3 mile) through the park along the river. If you want to have an authentic experience while staying in Japan, this is it; sleeping in futons on tatami mats, having your dinner sitting on the floor and a traditional bath. Communicating with Katy was easy and fast, and she provided me with all the details I needed for smooth travelling and check in. Would definitely love to stay there again!