Traditional Kyoto House on the Kamogawa River

Description

Traditional and very spacious two-story 1920s wooden house. Right on the Kamogawa river in a peaceful preserved historic neighborhood in northern Kyoto with excellent views. Good subway and bus connections: 500 meters to major bus transit center and walking distance to Kitayama or Kitaoji subway, which in 12-15 minutes gets you downtown. Tatami rooms, 2 western beds + futons, modern kitchen, traditional Japanese bath + shower, small garden, laundry. Air-con/heat both floors. (For those who prefer to be in central Kyoto, we have a small apartment downtown for single occupancy, and another larger studio apartment that accommodates two; please inquire.) Further detail: This is a very roomy house. The central 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 fully furnished western bedroom with a queen-sized bed, with good views of both the river directly in front of us and Mt. Hiei in the distance to the east. We are in the middle of a row of townhouses inhabited by artists, teachers, businesspeople, and retirees. Modern facilities include a full kitchen, washing machine and balcony, and heated electric toilet. Traditional features include Japanese bath, paper screens, finished earthen walls, and a side garden ("tsubo niwa"). Just across the river there is also a large commerical area with many grocery stores, coffee shops, and restaurants for all budgets. The Omiya shopping street, which runs north-south parallel to the river, is very traditional, yet at the same time has new upscale cafes and restaurants, including one that (purportedly) has a Michelin rating. Our location on the river makes it easy to be active, walking, running, cycling, or just relaxing. Look for herons, cormorants, egret, hawks, koi, and river muskrats--along with cyclists, runners, waders, sunbathers, and children with insect nets. A 12-minute bike ride/30-minute walk north takes you to the mountains--one can follow the river up all the way to its source, a spring at a temple. There are plenty of temples around and on a long walk in the area you will always discover a couple of new ones. Please note: The main living area downstairs and the bedroom upstairs is heated/air-conditioned, but the other spaces (including kitchen and hallways) are not. The house is quite 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 and 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.