Your days in Kyoto should be truly memorable.
Our hope is to guide you on your trip and help you along the way.
As a small hotel with only five rooms, instead of luxury services,
we strive to provide each of our guests with the omotenashi of Japanese hospitality.
Between the innkeeper and the rest of our staff,
there’s always someone to lend a hand.
Staying in a kyo-machiya inn that preserves
Kyoto’s traditional architecture and interior design,
we hope you can experience a taste of the good life in the ancient capital.
For five years in a row, since 2015,
Michelin Guide has recommended our inn as a comfortable place to stay.
About the Architecture
Built in 1909, during the Meiji era, Toshiharu is a traditional Kyo-machiya inn. While main building and storehouse are designated as Tangible Cultural Properties of Japan, the surrounding wall is recognized by Kyoto City for its historical architectural design.
The building’s exterior features a high-walled shimotaya, with waist-high de-koshi lattice windows that face the street. The inside of the windows are made of cedar, which is also used prominently on the udegi (thatched eaves), with the bark attached to the curved wood in the sukiya style. Down to the window sills, with tobukuro for storing rain shutters, every detail has been carefully considered.
The interior of the main building combines classic machiya architecture with more modern elements, decorated with large sheets of classic nami-uchi glass and of natural wood sculptures.
The storehouse features a dignified torii gate with a stucco finish above the entranceway.
Omotenashi
Since the opening of our inn in 1951, we have taken pride in sharing with our guests the experience of Kyoto’s traditional culture and appreciation of the seasons.
On arrival, you are greeted with homemade Japanese sweets and matcha tea. You can unpack and relax at your leisure. Let us know if you want to learn how to make tea.
Seasonal scrolls and flower arrangements decorate the inn and the rooms. The courtyard path from the entrance to the foyer path is tended to daily. In the evenings, the courtyard is illuminated for your to enjoy.
While we do not serve dinner, there are plenty of quality restaurants around the hotel. As our family has lived in this neighbourhood for generations, we’re happy to help you find where to go for sight-seeing and experiencing the joys of the city.
We can provide guidance in English, too.
The Area
Located in the heart of Kyoto, between Gojo and Shijo subway stations, we’re in a very convenient location for sightseeing. Nearby there is Higashi Hongan-ji Temple, Kamogawa River, and the Gojo Bridge, not to mention the many famous restaurants, both new and old.
Just one street removed from Karasuma-dori, the casual atmosphere of life in the ancient capital can be felt throughout the neighbourhood. It’s the perfect place for travellers who want to experience what it’s like to live in Kyoto.