Kyoto City's Machiya Ordinance defines a kyo-machiya as a wooden building constructed before the Building Standards Act took effect in 1950. It must have a traditional structure, and a form or design that grew out of city life.
Some of these townhouses are now used as places to stay. Layouts and house rules vary, so the instructions for your reservation always take priority over this general guide.
Read before you stay
A Kyoto machiya stay for eight people
Planning a Kyoto trip for eight? Check sleeping arrangements, shared space, bathrooms, and stairs before choosing a private machiya stay.
Kyoto’s Center Has Always Been Moving
Follow 1,200 years of change—from Heian-kyo and Kamigyo to Higashiyama and Kyoto Station—through seven conceptual maps.
What Machiya Inn Kyoto stands for
The company behind Machiya Inn Kyoto, why we began offering machiya stays, what we care about during a stay, and how to find the official websites.
How to choose where to stay in Kyoto
Kyoto Station, Higashiyama and Gion, and the Imperial Palace and Nijo area, by travel purpose. Check the listing and each property page for house details.
Choosing a Kyoto stay for 4 or 8 people
How hotels, ryokan, and whole-house machiya stays differ for groups of four or eight. Occupancy and layouts vary by property, so check the listing.
A Quiet Tea Moment in a Kyoto Machiya
Discover the tea we provide from Kyoto’s Ippodo Tea and the pleasure of taking a quiet break in a machiya between sightseeing.
Preparing for a machiya stay
Arrival, shoes, bathing, and other practical notes for a Kyoto townhouse stay.
Staying in a Kyoto machiya
What a townhouse stay in Kyoto feels like, and how it differs from a hotel.
Source
Definition summarised from: Kyoto City Kyomachiya general information. External website. Opens in a new tab · Verified: