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Description: 2BR/1BA Elegantly Modernized Machiya Townhouse

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DateRatingComment                [Guest Comments: 15 positive, 0 negative]
01/11/10 N/A
Guest Comment Entered By Homeowner:
Gojo Machiya rules!
Great location - easy walk to Sanjusangendo, Kyoto station, and main bus stops(just go up to Gojo Dori and turn left to Kawaramachi Gojo stop to the station for bus map/tickets) or 30 mins walk to Kyoto station. Kinkakuji is worth doing in the afternoon - the sun on the gold is just stunning. Kyoto Visitors Guide from information counter at the station has restaurants/temples/shops information for each month. We had a GREAT time!
  Fiona, Reoni, Fraser and Lachlan
Brisbane, Australia
01/08/10 N/A
Guest Comment Entered By Homeowner:
Thank you for having us. We had a wonderful experience and look forward to coming back! The bedding was very comfortable and the bath was magnificent! All the best from our family.
  Faragher Family
Melbourne, Australia
12/14/09 Positive
We had such a wonderful time staying in
this gorgeous machiya! It was perfect
for our small family (two adults and a
twelve month old). It is even cuter than
the pictures convey and is very
conveniently located for getting around
the city. My husband thought riding the
bikes around the city was one of the
best experiences he had in Japan!
The manager was friendly and helpful.
The owners were also in contact via
email to warn us about a possible
typhoon, which is nice because we hadn't
been watching the news. Luckily, we only
got a bit of heavy rain.
The home is fully outfitted and very
comfortable. The one thing that I would
mention, not because it's bad but just
because I wasn't aware of it, is that
the bedroom and tatami room do not have
separate entrances. You walk through the
bedroom to get to the tatami room.
Anyway, this is a wonderful base for
exploring Kyoto. Highly recommended!
  Sara Johnson, Corona, CA
12/07/09 Positive
We had a great stay in Kyoto at the Gojo Machiya house. It was super easy to find with very close access to major bus routes around the city. Kyoto is such a beautiful place and having a homebase (that isn't a small hotel room) such as this place made it even more welcoming.

Thanks for everything. We will definitely be recommending this place to friends.
  Kevin & Dorlisa Miller, Alberta Canada
12/03/09 N/A
Guest Comment Entered By Homeowner:
A note to say how wonderful it was to have stayed in such a lovely place. We traveled from Canada, and found a little piece of heaven here in Kyoto! It was always pleasant to know that after walking all day, we knew we would return to this house, put our feet up and enjoy peach and quiet! You have a great place, and thank you!
  Barrice and Daniel
Quebec, Canada
11/30/09 Positive
Having stayed in Kyoto over 5 times, this Gojo Machiya was by far the best accommodation experience I have had, and certainly much better value than any hotel of a similar price. We did the calligraphy lesson with Tomoko which we highly recommend for any one wanting to delve a little deeper into Japanese Culture. Tomoko was a real professional. And thank you Shuji for being there to help us. Will definitely be back. Ben and Coco
  Anonymous, Australia
11/27/09 N/A
Guest Comment Entered By Homeowner:
Thank you so much for renting us your lovely Machiya! We had a fantastic time in Kyoto and this place was an ideal base for our stay. We will absolutely recommend Gojo Machiya to anyone coming to Kyoto.
  Rebecca and Simon
Sydney, Australia
11/23/09 N/A
Guest Comment Entered By Homeowner:
What a beautiful Machiya! We were only here for a few days and wish we could stay longer. This place is the perfect balance between western comfort and exotic Asian beauty. We will definitely be recommending this place to our friends and family. Thank you!
  Dorlisa and Kevin
Alberta, Canada
11/17/09 N/A
Guest Comment Entered By Homeowner:
Our son, who turned 4 last month said that it was the best place he'd been in Japan. Consider this as a four star rating in the Michelin guide! He really is a hard-to-please little guy. We think to come back next summer for at least 2 weeks. Thanks for the great time we had!
  de Brothe des Combes family
Paris
11/13/09 Positive
We had the good fortune to stay for a whole month, and the machiya exceeded all expectations. For a long stay, the machiya really felt like home: no living out of suitcases, great kitchen, washer, bicycles, cozy neighborhood. The location was ideal; we walked, biked, bused, took the subway, and the train. As a garden enthusiast, Kyoto has a wealth of exquisite gardens to visit. We easily filled a month with interesting adventures. And knowing Shuji was nearby, we weren't worried about any problems or emergencies. Thank you for a fantastic Kyoto experience.
  Bruce & Janice, Courtenay, BC, Canada
11/07/09 N/A
Guest Comment Entered By Homeowner:
We are just finishing seven wonderful days in Kyoto - a truly memorable city. Your Machiya is exceptional, very comfortable with all the mod cons. The TV, DVD and internet were well used especially on wet mornings. Thanks also for the use of the bikes. If we ever visit Japan again, we will definitely come to Kyoto and your Machiya. Thank you so much.
  Michael, Ann, Sara + Karen
Ireland
10/15/09 Positive
Just a short message via email, (I ran out of time to write in your guest book) to say a huge thank you for our wonderful stay in your lovely home in Kyoto.
You offer an exemplary service in so may ways. The design details of the entire house are just lovely, the luxurious towels, the beautiful crockery, the bedding, the hair dryer, the complimentary shampoo/conditioner, the English channel TV, the use of the bikes... I could go on and on.
Please pass onto Shuji our gratitude for his help with restaurants and settling in questions. All in all our stay with you was a definite highlight of our trip to Japan.
Well done on such a wonderful service!
  K & B Salt, Melbourne Australia
09/03/09 N/A
Guest Comment Entered By Homeowner:
Thanks a lot! We had a great time in Kyoto and enjoyed every moment, every street, every temple... and every sushi bar! And your machiya was part of the dream, a house as we were not even hoping to find-you have an amazing little house and a lovely neighborhood. Thank you for sharing all that with us. Warmest regards,
  Mare & Brigitte
Paris
03/26/09 Positive
When we opened the door, we squealed! Beautiful sliding screens, dark hard wood floors. The upstairs was bright, roomy and very comfortable. The location was great. We have a small child, and we had a park just down the street. Easy walk to the metro or to a bus stop. Close to a market to pick up breakfast items. A lovely wine store close to the house. Comes with a washer and a deck to hang clothes, much needed when you need to freshen up your travel gear. Would I stay here again? Absolutely!
  Julene, David & Ian, Moscow, IDAHO
03/09/09 N/A
Guest Comment Entered By Homeowner:
We had a fabulous time in Kyoto and was great to have a taste of local life in the machiya. Many thanks to Shuji and his mom for their kindness and hospitality. We've been to Kyoto before but never to a machiya and we loved it! This was my mom's first time in Kyoto, in Japan and in a machiya and she was ecstatic. Thank you again.
  Julian & Monica
Argentina
02/28/09 Positive
We would highly recommend staying here if you are
after a comfortable, stylish, modern yet authentic
experience of Kyoto! This was our second time to
Kyoto and we were very happy to have discovered
this beautiful townhouse - such a great location
close to the river and trains and also close to heaps
of beautiful shrines in the east of the city. The
townhouse is excellently equipped with a designer
feel - just gorgeous! Quite spacious too for
Japanese standards and with two separate rooms
upstairs it was perfect for us and our little girl. The
bikes were fantastic to use (we felt like locals!) and
a taxi up to Sanjo-Dori with lots of great eateries or
even Kyoto station was only around 600 yen. Rob
and Yuki made organising everything very pleasant
and easy and it really felt as if we were staying at a
friends place. Wonderful accommodation, you
won't be disappointed! We look forward to coming
back soon!
  Sarah and Paul Burnett, Melbourne, Australia
02/26/09 N/A
Guest Comment Entered By Homeowner:
Thank you so much for a wonderful stay in your gorgous machiya! It was everything we expected and more! You have a beautiful and stylish little corner of Kyoto and we felt very lucky to have been able to experience it!
Many thanks and we hope to come back soon!
  Paul, Sarah & Summer
Melbourne, Australia
02/19/09 N/A
Guest Comment Entered By Homeowner:
Thank you for a lovely stay at your machiya - we have found it very cozy and well-equipped, and very comfortable. We have had only 2 1/2 days here and could definitely spend much longer but next time we'll come in summer!(the crowds have been pretty good though!) Many thanks.
  Fiona & Kim
Australia
02/07/09 Positive
We had a lovely stay in Kyoto in January but were very glad we had our all our warm ski clothes with us. The machiya is very stylish, comfortable and well-equipped. We bought bus passes from the tourist office at the station. They could be validated for any day and were good value for visiting the more distant tourist sites.
  Fiona & Kim Chaffey, Nambucca Heads, Australia
02/07/09 Positive
The Machiya is beautifully remodeled and furnished, and very comfortable. We easily walked to Gion, shopping, and many Kyoto attractions, and trains and taxis were nearby and simple to navigate. And wonderful information and support from Rob, Yuki and Shuji. Highly recommended - we will definitely stay again on our next Kyoto visit!
  Anonymous
01/10/09 N/A
Guest Comment Entered By Homeowner:
Thank you. A perfect home in an exquisite city. East Kyoto is beautiful in every aspect. We really enjoyed our meal at Hirano-ya, just inside Maruyama Park. A wonderful old restaurant with hearty and unique food. Thank you Shuji for organising everything so well for us.
We enjoyed hunting down the perfect tea pot - they are from new to hundreds of years old. Check out "Old Kyoto" by Diane Dunston. The Hosomi Museum has a good design store and the exhibition was wonderful.
  Natalie & Kevin
Auckland, Newzealand
01/07/09 N/A
Guest Comment Entered By Homeowner:
We too are grateful for the opportunity to experience the charm of your Machiya. We enjoyed Kyoto and our visits to Himeji and Hiroshima. Many thanks for such a comfortable stay!
  Penny & Les
Brisbane, Australia
12/15/08 N/A
Guest Comment Entered By Homeowner:
Thanks for a great stay. Everything was so easy and well organized. We enjoyed all the regular sights but also a few extras such as Sanjusan Temple - so close to the house and really interesting as well as the lantern festival at Arashiyama. We also did the wood block painting and top making courses at the Kyoto Handicraft Centre - a bit touristy but kept the knob busy for a while.
 
11/08/08 Positive
Gojo Machiya is a superbly renovated property in a great location. We enjoyed our stay of four days and felt part of the local neighourhood as soon as we arrived. It is a quiet property but still close to public transport and some of the attractions of Kyoto are within easy walking distance.

These include Kiyomizu-dera Temple (walk up Chawan-zaka where there are numerous pottery shops then take the walk north to Gion via Kodai-ji Temple), Sanjusangen-do Temple in the south - a must see and famous potter/writer/sculptor Kawai Kanjiro's beautiful house with his kilns, furniture and other works on display is only a couple of minutes walk.

We used the bus system to get around the other parts of Kyoto and a one day pass at 500 yen is a bargain. Buses go just about everywhere and once you get to know the system it's easy to get around.

Be sure to take an evening stroll through the geisha area shown in the map in the information folder.

Rob and Yuki are great to deal with and our security deposit was returned promptly, Thanks Rob!

J & D
Australia
  Anonymous
10/24/08 N/A
Guest Comment Entered By Homeowner:
Your machiya became our home in Japan for two beautiful and memorable weeks. Thank you so much for being great hosts. Shuji was wonderfully helpful, too.
  the Gray
Seattle, USA
10/01/08 Positive
We absolutely loved staying at the Gojo Machiya and couldn't have asked for more. It had everything we needed and was clean and comfortable. Great location (close to sites) in a nice neighborhood. Would definitely recommend this place and come back if we find ourselves in Kyoto again.
  Lylan Wilcox & family, Redmond, WA USA
09/30/08 Positive
Excellent and stylish house in a great location in
Kyoto. We had a brilliant time exploring the local area
on the bikes and relaxing in the house at the end of
each day. Thanks again!
  Stephen Jones
08/03/08 Positive
Wonderful few days in Kyoto. Loved the house, close to everything. We look forward to returning to Japan in the future!
  Dave & Sue, Australia
07/21/08 N/A
Guest Comment Entered By Homeowner:
Thank you for providing such a delightful place for visitors to stay while in beautiful Kyoto. And a particular thanks to Rob and Shuji for helping us to retrieve our lost, brand-new camera from JR in Tokyo. We had it back within 24 house - what service!
Best wishes,
  The Bass Family
Sydney, Australia
07/12/08 N/A
Guest Comment Entered By Homeowner:
It was nice having our own place to stay & relax in comfortable surroundings. Midway through our trip, we had a particularly great time wondering through Gion and thanks to Shuji for looking out for us - what a wonderful help to have on our doorstep!

A special thanks again to Yuki for her help with organizing our tickets & her dining tips - I've left the maps for other to enjoy!
  Roosje & Ben
Sydney, Australia
05/21/08 N/A
Guest Comment Entered By Homeowner:
We enjoyed our stay very much. Once we figured out which bus stop to use, we did great.
What a great place & time!
  Michele & Family
Phoenix, AZ
05/12/08 N/A
Guest Comment Entered By Homeowner:
We loved our stay in the Machiya - a very relaxing and peaceful haven in a beautiful city. The house is superbly equipped. We will be sure to stay here on our next visit to Kyoto!
  Fred, Helen and Armen
Hong Kong & London
04/30/08 Positive
We had a wonderful stay at Gojo Machiya. The townhouse is very well located, and it was possible to walk to a lot of the places we wanted to go. It was great to stay in a traditional Japanese neighbourhood, with lovely cafes, coffee houses, geisha area and shops nearby.

The townhouse has been very well renovated and is equipped with everything that we could possibly have wanted. We particularly appreciated the ability to make real coffee in the mornings.

Highly recommended.
  Karen, Bangkok, Thailand
04/21/08 N/A
Guest Comment Entered By Homeowner:
Thank you for such a great place to stay. Before Kyoto we enjoyed a few hotels in different cities and towns, yet Kyoto is now our favourite place in Japan, and your house was by far our favourite place to sleep & relax.

You've made our vacation so memorable.

Ps: We love the design and construction of your Machiya.
  Chris & Les
Brooklyn, New York
04/06/08 N/A
Guest Comment Entered By Homeowner:
The house was beautiful and the futons were comfortable! The Machiya is in a great location for sightseeing - we walked up to Kiyomizu, Shijo-dori, and lots of great restaurants.
If we make it back to Kyoto again, we'll be back to visit!
Thanks!
  Janine & Stuart
Okinawa, Japan
02/28/08 Positive
My Son and I stayed at this property in February 2008. It was absolutely lovely. It has all modern conveniences but is still quite traditional. It's location could not be better as it is close to several train lines. As stated on this website it is almost within the geisha and pottery districts. We purchased some beautiful pieces of pottery.

There are plenty of restuarants within minutes of the house. Should you choose to cook at home there are lots of stalls and shops to buy all items required to create any type of meal you choose to prepare in the well equipped kitchen.
The owner picked us up at Kyoto station and gave us an orientation of the area which was extremely helpful and she made some wonderful recommendations of historic sites we should visit with instructions on how to get there. If you do not speak Japanese I recommend you avail yourself of this service at it certainly enhanced our experience.

Visiting O'Hara is a must and quite easy from this location.

I would thoroughly recommend this property for a couple or family up to four people.

Staying here made our stay very special and we also had the convenience of kitchen and laundry facilities.

This is the best way to experience Kyoto.
  Jenny Graham, Cairns,Australia
617 40550428
  • So far, the homeowner has approved 15 guest-submitted comments to appear in the guestbook.
  • The number of homeowner-entered comments is 21. (Note that the homeowner can enter comments from guests who have stayed at this property in the past, or who would most likely not utilize this guestbook.)

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    Property Last Updated: 01/29/2010  

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