Yasumoto Ryokan

16th July 2010 – 19th July 2010. Written by Xin Li.

It wasn’t easy to find an affordable lodging during the peak season of July 15th -19th. Most places were fully booked, even for capsule hotels! This was due to the famed Gion Matsuri, one of the three most important festivals in Japan is at its peak with the Yoiyama night markets and festivals before the parade on the 17th of July. I will touch on that in another post.

Fortunately, I was able to get a room at a reasonably low price at Yasumoto Ryokan located near the Nishi Hongan-ji Temple. I got a comfortable room for myself for 4000 yen per night. You could get better rates with a larger group.

Other forms of lodging in Kyoto are youth hostels which can go as low as 2500 yen per night in contrast to hotels and higher end ryokans which would cost you 8000 yen to a 5 digit-figure range. The downside about travelling alone in Kyoto was the difficulty to find a single room that is meant for a single room. Most room charges go by per pax and you would incur the full cost of a 2-man room if you are staying alone.

Besides the ryokan’s close proximity to two well-known landmarks, the Nishi Hongan-ji and Higashi Hongan-ji temples. The ryokan is conveniently located near Kyoto Train Station and Subway Station, about two streets away within 1 kilometer. With this location, 4000 yen is quite value for money, plus there were no peak season charges too. The ryokan can be accessed easily via bicycle too. The KTCP outlet is located about 2 or 3 streets down.

The ryokan was run by an old couple who do not speak English. However, they were extremely friendly and try their best to communicate and make my stay a comfortable one. Needless to say, service is top-notch.

The ryokan is a rather old building with an old world charm. There is a nice garden that is being meticulously taken care of by the owner. Attention to details can be found around the ryokan with little bits of décor here and there to be found.

There are two bathrooms, one is a Classical style bathroom with a sunken bath complete with a Greek sculpture where water would flow out and fill the bath with water. The other is a typical Japanese bathroom with a sunken bath. Besides bathrooms, there were toilets and washing areas conveniently located around the ryokan.

My Japanese style-room is quite cozy with a view of the street outside. For the first night, they actually prepare the futon for you but you will prepare it yourself on subsequent nights. There is a coin-operated television in the room which I did not use. Yukata, towel and some cutlery were being provided.

There are few izakayas, cafes, ramen and yakitori stalls along Nanajo-Dori Street which you can visit for some cheap food. There is also a laundry store which you can visit to clean your own laundry with the coin-operated machines.

Payment was done on the day of checking-in by cash.

While they close their doors at 11 pm and open at 7 am, you can still leave or come back later as long as you don’t create a ruckus. It is after all a home before a ryokan.

All in all, I enjoyed my stay at Yasumoto Ryokan. Besides the affordable price, decent room and good location of the ryokan from Kyoto Train Station, the warm hospitality I received from the friendly couple at Yasumoto Ryokan is truly memorable. My only regret is my inability to speak Japanese, they would have been nice group of people to chat with.

Yasumoto Ryokan:
http://kyoto-yasumotoryokan.com/index.html