International Guest House Tani House

Tani and her daughter were amazing hosts. We were greeted with cake and matcha, a lovely touch, and breakfast was included, varied, and tasty. The room was clean and comfortable in a basic, traditional way, with a mattress on the floor and a shared bathroom. We stayed three nights in this old-style Japanese home and had a lovely time. If you’re after an authentic experience, this is the place. For luxury, look elsewhere. Amazing place and hosts. Thanks, Tani and family.

The rooms are separated by screens, so you’ll hear the neighbours. The walls have some cracks, the floors aren’t even, and the windows are drafty, which is what you might expect in an old Japanese house. I found some of the reviews here unfair: Tani has family helping her, and the house is clean and relatively tidy. Set your expectations with the age of the place in mind and you should have a good time. Tani is lovely and very accommodating. She still lives downstairs, and the breakfast was more than I expected, clearly made with care. The house is old, drafty, and warped by time, but that can be part of its charm. It’s a great find for travellers wanting a few nights in a traditional home.

The house is a hundred years old, but it’s relatively clean and gives you a traditional place to stay in Japan. Tani is wonderful and provides great service. She makes breakfast in the morning, ready whenever you want to start your day.

I loved the feeling of staying in a proper Japanese home. The host welcomed us with tea and local sweets, and Tani was very kind. We also had a lovely view of bamboo outside the bedroom window. She even gave us a parting gift and let us leave our large luggage with her for the day. We booked a private room with two futons on tatami mats. The bedding was comfortable and clean, the temperature was good, and it was quiet enough for a great night’s sleep. I was worried after reading other reviews, but we had NO bedbugs. Breakfast was good, brought to the room at whatever time you request, which was really helpful. You do need to wash your dishes, and the kitchen is a little dated. The kitchen and bathroom could be cleaner, though it wasn’t as bad as some reviews suggested and I was still happy to stay. This is a traditional Japanese home, not a swanky hotel, so set your expectations accordingly. The location is great, a couple of minutes’ walk from a bus stop with a direct route into central Kyoto. The bus can get very busy, so you may want another option if you have lots of big bags. We managed with one day bag and one backpack as long as we got seats and could fit everything on our laps.