A machiya is a traditional wooden townhouse. In Kyoto, many of these houses are now used as places to stay. The rooms are usually arranged along a long, narrow plot, with a small garden or courtyard that brings light into the middle of the house.
The stay is quieter than a typical hotel. You take off your shoes at the entrance, move between rooms on wooden floors or tatami, and hear the house itself: sliding doors, rain on the roof, and the street outside. Bathing and sleeping spaces are often separate, so the day has a slower rhythm.
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