
Japanese visitors are falling in love with the gorgeous gardens and traditional rooms at this atmospheric inn.
Japan is filled with so many unique and interesting accommodation options that it can sometimes be difficult to choose a place to stay. When it comes to finding the perfect base in Kyoto, however, Japanese travellers are talking about a beautiful new place called Guesthouse Koiya, which has been receiving rave reviews from guests.
▼ According to this excited visitor, the guesthouse looks exactly like the inner citadel that appears in the popular Japanese mobile game “Touken Ranbu”.
https://twitter.com/edyk310/status/775310590377992194Looking at photographs of the inn, it certainly does have a beautifully maintained traditional appearance that makes it look like it could house a group of samurai warriors.
Despite being recently renovated, the old building still retains some original features like old switches and dark wood panels.
The exterior has some charming features that make you feel like you’re stepping back in time as soon as you arrive at the front door.
Inside, the rooms all feature gorgeous shoji sliding screen doors and traditional tatami mat flooring.
Guests who stay in the triple room on the first floor can sit on a wooden ledge to keep an eye out for enemy infiltrators while enjoying a view of the leafy scenery.
The twin room on the ground floor opens up to a beautiful view of a traditional Japanese garden.
While this former tea ceremony room, which sleeps two to three people, opens out onto an exclusive private garden.
The long wooden verandah is like a scene from an old movie where kimono-clad lords and warriors would shuffle about, using the thoroughfare as a way to move from one room to another through the building.
The inner garden is a beautiful central point, which provides shade and dappled sunlight in the spring and summer months.
▼ In autumn, the garden becomes filled with a dazzling display of fiery red foliage.
▼ And the garden looks equally beautiful covered in a gorgeous white layer of winter snow.
All guests can enjoy garden viewing at any time of the year in the dining room area, with a free-to-use kitchen that contains coffee and western and Japanese style teas.
Accommodation plans at the inn are very reasonably priced, with a single room costing 4,000 yen (US$39.21) per person a night. Each room is priced differently, with reduced prices for two to three people staying together in one room. If you’re looking for a beautiful place to stay in Kyoto, stop by their English website for more details!
Guesthouse Information
Guesthouse Koiya/ゲストハウス鯉屋
Address: Kyoto-fu, Kyoto-shi, Kamigyo-ku, Tenjin Kitamachi 29−1
京都府京都市上京区天神北町29-1
Website (English)
Source: Togech
Top Image: Guesthouse Koiya
Insert Images: Guesthouse Koiya

















Foreign travelers’ lukewarm reactions to traditional Japanese inn food causing changes in Kyoto
Tomaya: The old Japanese inn that only accepts reservations by post
We stay in a converted Kyoto townhouse filled with traditional charm and overwhelming hospitality
Japan’s firefly season is here, and here are four great inns to take in the softly glowing beauty
Beautiful Starbucks in Kyoto blends into its traditional landscape in more ways than one
Visiting Japan’s one-and-only, and only-for-a-limited-time, Dragon Ball noodle restaurant[Photos]
Starbucks Japan unveils new sakura cherry blossom collection for hanami season 2026
7-Eleven Japan now sells bagels…cooked in bamboo steamers
Studio Ghibli now sells Ursula’s backpack from Kiki’s Delivery Service at its anime shop in Japan
Is Tokyo Station’s startlingly expensive wagyu bento boxed lunch worth its high price?[Taste test]
We suspected this Japanese cable car was an overpriced tourist trip, but we underestimated it
Japan asked to vote on what to officially call insanely hot days
Foreign tourists outnumber Japanese ones at Kyoto hotels for first time ever
Unique Starbucks in historic building is one of the most beautiful in Japan
Japanese yokai spirits enter the modern era in Nagoya’s new digital art experience
Starbucks Japan releases first-ever Hinamatsuri Girls’ Day Frappuccino
Japanese restaurant chain serves Dragon Ball donuts and Senzu Beans this spring
One Piece creator has hidden secret of anime treasure’s identity in chest at bottom of real-world ocean
Japan’s cherry blossom season predicted to start earlier than we’d thought, especially in Tokyo
Japan Extreme Budget Travel! A trip from Tokyo to Izumo for just 30,000 yen [Part 2]
Japan’s craziest burger chain takes menchi katsu to new extreme levels
Sakura Festival in Chiyoda mixes illuminations, boats, music, and Rilakkuma in the heart of Tokyo
Viral Japanese cheesecake from Osaka has a lesser known rival called Aunt Wanda
Japan’s newest Shinkansen has no seats…or passengers [Video]
Starbucks Japan releases new sakura goods and drinkware for cherry blossom season 2026
Foreigners accounting for over 80 percent of off-course skiers needing rescue in Japan’s Hokkaido
Super-salty pizza sends six kids to the hospital in Japan, linguistics blamed
Starbucks Japan unveils new sakura Frappuccino for cherry blossom season 2026
Foreign tourists in Japan will get free Shinkansen tickets to promote regional tourism
The 10 most annoying things foreign tourists do on Japanese trains, according to locals
Take a trip to Japan’s Dododo Land, the most irritating place on Earth
Naruto and Converse team up for new line of shinobi sneakers[Photos]
Survey asks foreign tourists what bothered them in Japan, more than half gave same answer
Japan’s human washing machines will go on sale to general public, demos to be held in Tokyo
Starbucks Japan releases new drinkware and goods for Valentine’s Day
We deeply regret going into this tunnel on our walk in the mountains of Japan
Studio Ghibli releases Kodama forest spirits from Princess Mononoke to light up your home
Major Japanese hotel chain says reservations via overseas booking sites may not be valid
Put sesame oil in your coffee? Japanese maker says it’s the best way to start your day【Taste test】
No more using real katana for tourism activities, Japan’s National Police Agency says
Rakuten Travel reveals the top 5 best-rated, off-the-beaten-track Japanese ryokan inns
Dine like a samurai on the night of the Ikedaya Incident at Kyoto-themed restaurant in Tokyo
Japanese inn’s first foreign guests disappear without paying – “We feel so betrayed”
How should you use the small hiroen in a Japanese ryokan hotel room?
Enjoy Kyoto (Part 1) — Stay in a restored traditional machiya house!
Site of Japan’s most famous samurai murder is now a Kyoto karaoke joint
Ryokan etiquette: What not to do when staying at a traditional Japanese inn
Cute and comfy women’s-only hotel in Kyoto has everything you need for the perfect girls’ trip
The 10 best ryokan inns in Japan, as chosen by travelers
Travel back in time to this timeless Japanese hot spring inn from the Taisho period【Photos】
This beautiful Kyoto dry landscape garden…is part of a Starbucks?!?【Photos】
Japanese ryokan custom ignites debate after visitors label it sexist
Secrets of an Innkeeper: 3 Japanese guesthouse habits we could all learn from
Survey reveals the most popular time to slip into a yukata at a traditional Japanese inn
Japanese-style accommodation at the new Premium Dormy Inn hotel in Asakusa will blow your mind
Cheap Japanese ryokan at Kusatsu Onsen is hidden at the back of a traditional store