Fujinoma

Fujinoma Machiya house was a comfortable fit for all seven of us across its three rooms. The heated floors made sleeping on the futons much nicer, and the house has modern amenities too. It was a little tricky to reach at first, but once we set the location on Google map and showed it to the taxi driver, getting there was easy. It’s near Kyoto train station and Imperial Palace, though you’ll need public transport to reach other well-known vacation spots.

Our family of four had a beautiful stay. The house is tucked into a side alley just off the main street, with a large grocery store nearby and the subway station a short walk away. The interior layout and decoration were exquisite, and everything was functional and clean. There’s a fully equipped kitchen and three bathrooms, plus a washer and dryer. One bedroom has beds, another has tatamis, and an additional room can be used as a sitting room or extra bedroom. Each room has its own A/C, the downstairs floors are heated, and there’s a small zen patio downstairs. Housekeeping came daily.

The main drawback for us was the walk from the train station, which felt quite far. Still, this Machiya is pretty and comfortable, with a lovely little interior garden that makes a nice photo spot. There are bathrooms on both the first and second floors. Upstairs, the bedroom has a bedside table with sockets, so you can plug in a universal adapter to charge your devices easily. The beds are huge, comfortable, and clean, though the side table beside the bed was dusty. They also provide room slippers, and the heated flooring downstairs made it much nicer to walk around without getting cold. We were given tea, coffee, bottled water, toothbrushes, toothpaste, and towels for everyone.

The heated floors and bathrooms were a welcome touch, and the interior is thoughtfully done, with an outdoor garden too. This machiya has two floors and plenty of room for a group of up to eight. It’s fairly close to central Kyoto Station, walkable if you’re traveling light, though a taxi may be easier with luggage.