Gagakuan

We stayed at Gagakuan during Kyoto's cherry blossom season, which was brilliant and recommended for all travellers to Japan! Gagakuan is a renovated period style Japanese townhouse, very centrally located to trains (Gojo station), cool areas of Kyoto (Nishiki Market, Gion, Teramachi, supermarket, local restaurants), and very safe. Mako san, the owner, helped make our stay a fabulous one - from before we arrived (maps in Japanese, giving taxi driver directions in Japanese), to making us comfortable in the house, guiding us to local sights and activities, with great communication during our stay. The house has everything you need and so much better than a hotel. We loved the separate living spaces, very comfortable beds, cooking facilities and the deep bath! Taxis to most of the major sights was ridiculously cheap as Gagakuan was in close proximity to everything, and you can flag them down in the street one block away from the house. We had a fantastic time and would definitely stay here again, as well as recommend this place to others.

Jättebra boende som rekommenderas varmt!

Gagakuan is not a hotel, it's the equivalent of a US townhouse, built about 100 years ago. It's a 2 story unit with a full kitchen downstairs and beds upstairs. It was very clean and easy to walk to Nijo Castle and other. Kyoto sights. We really enjoyed it because it was so different from the hotels we stay in when we travel. If you must have a TV and maid service look elsewhere (there is free wifi and a laptop in the home), but this is the perfect place to stay when visiting a city like Kyoto.

Our family of 4 completely enjoyed 2 wonderful nights at this cute little Japanese home. The service was excellent and started even before we arrived, with Saki reaching out to us by email to make sure we knew how to find the place and to keep tabs on our arrival. When we arrived Saki explained the use of various features on the home and left us to our privacy. But that didnt stop there as she kept checking in on us by email to make sure we were doing ok. And we did far more than just "OK". Kyoto is a beautiful place to visit and Gagakuan certainly adds to the enjoyment of this fine city. So much so that our kids actually called it "home", albeit temporarily. We would definitely love to go there again.

Only one subway stop away from Kyoto station. Classic Loft. Well equiped. Warm and personal service. Superb experience.

Off the beaten path, this house is great for a family of four. It is in a great location for food, access to subway yet quiet. It is an eco-house, with many impressive energy saving details. As well, we arrived late and the the fridge was stocked with food, so we didn't have to go out late at night. It was a truly local experience. We loved it.

LOCATION HINTS: Ask the taxi to drop you at Shimogyo Junior High School and find Cafe World a little corner cafe just across the street from the school. From the cafe, you can see a vending machine on the street corner. From the cafe, walk towards the vending machine and turn right at the vending machine, then left down the path at the second powerpole. This path leads to gagakuan. see Google maps streetview.SIGHTSEEING:Walking distance to the temples and cute traditional shops. GAGAKUAN: Saki was wonderful, you feel like you have an invisible concierge if you need any help. The place is lovely, just keep the noise down so as to not disturb the neighbours as the walls are thin.

We (husband, mother-in-law and myself) loved our stay at Gagakuan!The proprietor met us as we exited from our cab and extend an extraordinary quality of hospitality during our stay. This accommodation was perfect for several people - one downstairs room, Japanese style with tatami mats/futon and attached toilet. The property has the charm of an old Japanese style townhouse with the sensibility and style, in the kitchen, of a modern/Italian influenced larder -there was olive oil to cook with and very stylish plates/cups and flatware/utensils. We highly enjoyed shopping for food at the Nishiki market and eating "in" for breakfast and dinner, with the mid-day meal out at a local restaurant. We had a quiet, peaceful and entirely delightful stay at this townhouse. I/we highly recommend this accommodation!

The hotels in Kyoto generally don't match up to those in Tokyo. Gagakuan is a wonderful alternative: essentially a converted town home with modern amenities. It was an extremely comfortable stay! The service and help provided by the staff was excellent and extremely friendly.

This is not a hotel, but a great single-unit townhouse in a central area of Kyoto. We had a fantastic time there and would recommend to anyone who's looking for an unusual place to stay.