Staying at traditional Japanese inns in various places, this place sets the standard. The room decor is superb and never gets boring. The splendid sliding doors are custom-made for each room. Located near Nishiki Market and Teramachi Street, it's a bustling area but the room itself is extremely quiet. The meals served in such rooms exceeded expectations and were fantastic. The precision of the sashimi knife skills was remarkable. The perfectly prepared pike conger eel. The delicate and clear broth. The intricately designed assorted appetizers each brought out unique flavors in just one bite. There was nothing lacking. The original Yamazuru Daiginjo sake paired perfectly. Every dish was outstanding, leaving you wanting to eat more tomorrow. This would be the ideal inn dining experience, but it's a rare one.

October 9th I woke up early due to the father next door shouting loudly, making it hard to fall back asleep. I got up at 7:55. Took a bath. Had breakfast at 8:30. It included simmered hijiki seaweed, boiled spinach, grilled flounder, simmered vegetables (burdock root, pumpkin, Chinese cabbage), chawanmushi (savory egg custard), fried tofu, simmered mountain pepper, roasted seaweed, orange juice, rice, miso soup, and pickles. There were two types of grapes, two types of kiwi, and persimmons. The rice was too soft for my liking. There was no soy sauce dish, and the waitress told me to use the lid from another dish, which surprised me. From 9 to 10:30, the child next door cried non-stop. I left around 10:30, and the silence returned. Took a final bath around 11. Left around 12, bid farewell to the landlady, and departed. Visited Yuzu-ya Ryokan, Marishiten Temple, Ebisu Shrine, Kagi Zenryobo, and the main Nishio Yatsuhashi Gion North store, before returning to Yuzu-ya Ryokan.

On October 8th, I arrived at Kyoto Wakuden around 3:15 PM via Fumido-in. I was guided to the Katsuki-an on the second floor. The room had a small entrance, a large main room, a traditional Japanese veranda, a bedroom, a toilet, a dressing room, and a bathroom. Women were provided with Pola skincare products, while men were provided with Shiseido or Auslese products. The bath was already prepared with hot water in a hinoki cypress tub. There was a daily evening newspaper on the table, but I requested a different newspaper for the morning. Shortly after, a young waitress brought cold barley tea and snacks. Dinner was scheduled for 6:30 or 7:00 PM, and I chose 6:30 PM. I took a bath to relax before dinner. An older waitress took care of the room. At 6:27 PM, dinner preparations began. The meal included appetizers, sashimi, a variety of dishes, and dessert. The dinner ended around 9:00 PM, but the noise from a neighboring room with a 4-year-old child was disruptive. The Wi-Fi stopped working around 9:30 PM, and after some troubleshooting, a male staff member helped me connect to an emergency line by 10:00 PM. I took a bath around 10:40 PM and went to bed before midnight.

Needless to say, it is one of the three major long-established ryokans in Kyoto, but there were several things that were different from what I imagined. ◯ I had the image that it was a ryokan with many tea rooms, but in reality, it started with tea ceremonies and tea kaiseki, and then became a ryokan. This ryokan has a strong connection with Urasenke, and the head of Urasenke and the grand master often invite customers to tea ceremonies here, and some customers who became pleasantly drunk started staying overnight, which led to the beginning of the ryokan business (as mentioned by the attendant who took care of us). They still hold tea ceremonies regularly, as I found out from their website. ◯ The entrance and foyer of the ryokan are not very large, but the interior is very spacious, with many staircases and corridors like a maze, and it seems to have a considerable number of rooms (although I did not confirm this). There are Western-style rooms with beds as well as traditional Japanese-style rooms. ◯ Our room was called "Izutsu," a traditional Japanese-style room. Fortunately, it was a room adjacent to the tea room "Gyokutoan," which offered a view of the garden of Gyokutoan. The room name "Izutsu" is said to be derived from the "Izutsu" in the "Tales of Ise" (according to my companion), and indeed, the wall was decorated with a passage from the "Tales of Ise." Additionally, there is an old well in the garden of this room, so it may be related to that as well. ◯ It seems that each room has its own private bath. The private bath in our room was small but clean and comfortable. I assume there is also a communal bath, but there was no information about it. ◯ We had dinner and breakfast in the adjacent room (which had tables and chairs). That room was also a tea room (different from Gyokutoan) with a large hearth and a hearth-side sunken hearth. ◯ Dinner was served dish by dish by the attendant, rather than the traditional ryokan style of placing all dishes on the table at once, and it was quite voluminous. I consider myself someone who eats a lot, but even I found it challenging. For details, please refer to the end of this post, but for example, sashimi was served in two dishes, each with a variety of fish, and grilled dishes included two types of fish, followed by steamed rice with a small plate of icefish, grilled collar of sea bream served as a complimentary dish, followed by simmered dish, tempura, and then finally rice was served as the last dish. The dishes themselves may not have the sparkle of recent Michelin-starred Kyoto restaurants, but they provided a variety of dishes that were pleasantly different from what I had imagined, so I did not get bored (but still, the portions were generous). Some dishes were very delicious (details below). ◯ You can also experience a tea ceremony at the aforementioned "Gyokutoan." It costs 3,300 yen including tax for two people, so it feels like a good deal. Additionally, on the 7th and 17th of every month, they offer tea ceremonies at Gyokutoan after dinner. ◯ The dishes we had for dinner included: ・Small plates of Shirauo (icefish) and Tairagi (pen shell) ・Simmered dish of Amadai (tilefish) and Takenoko (bamboo shoots) ・Two sashimi dishes (the first dish included Spanish mackerel, flounder, and sea bream. The second dish included pufferfish milt, tilefish, squid, razor clam, saury) ・Hassun (a traditional Japanese dish consisting of multiple small plates) including firefly squid, broad beans, Moroko (a type of fish) in Nanban-zuke (a type of marinade), spinach with walnut dressing, chicken in pine needle sauce, monkfish liver (a sweetened dish that was delicious), omelette, black beans, renkon (lotus root) cooked in sweet soy sauce, pickled turnip with shiso, and shrimp) ・Grilled dish (Managatsuo and Aburame fish. The Aburame fish was topped with grilled mullet roe. The Managatsuo fish was grilled with yu-an sauce)

Located on Fuya Street near Nishiki Market in Kyoto, this ryokan is one of the three major traditional inns in Kyoto. Originally a swordsmith and charcoal shop, the ryokan began hosting tea ceremonies for friends the owner had met through tea, pottery, and Noh performances. Known as a tea ceremony inn, the ryokan features guest rooms designed in a sukiya style with a sunken hearth tea room. Upon arrival, guests are greeted with a Kyoto confection called "Ryo-han," a firm mochi rice cake with a light sweet and savory black sugar syrup. The dinner experience takes place in a neighboring room converted into a dining area, with a spacious layout and a warm hearth. The meal starts with a crab leg appetizer, followed by a clear and flavorful soup. The sashimi course is beautifully presented, and each dish is meticulously prepared. The meal continues with grilled fish wrapped in tree bark, pickled vegetables, hand-rolled sushi, simmered dishes, and a refreshing beef dish to finish. A surprise dish of grilled sea bream head is also served, providing a unique and memorable dining experience. The attention to detail in both presentation and flavor makes this ryokan a must-visit for those seeking an authentic Japanese dining experience.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, my wife saw on TV the plight of an innkeeper with few customers and expressed her desire to visit. I had heard of the three famous traditional inns in Kyoto, but since they were not hot springs and were expensive, I thought they were out of reach. However, driven by a base desire to experience amazing hospitality and cuisine, we decided to go. We arrived at the inn around 3 pm without stopping anywhere. The exterior had a traditional wooden inn feel. As soon as we entered the gate, we were greeted by the innkeeper and staff. We took off our shoes and were led to a room called Ashikari on the second floor. It was a room with a Japanese-style bed. Since all rooms on the first floor had tea rooms, it was said to be an inn well-versed in the tea ceremony, so I thought the welcome tea would be matcha, but it turned out to be roasted green tea. Well, that's okay. The room had a hinoki cypress bath, and the water was already prepared. We went to a café called Ippodo, came back, took a bath, drank beer, and finally had dinner. The first dish was red snow crab. It was served in a large persimmon leaf-covered bowl, with vinegar turned into gel that you mix in. The soup dish was a clear soup with sea bream and matsutake mushrooms, an ultimate masterpiece. The sashimi included Shirakawa grouper, tuna, sea bream, yellowtail, shrimp, and needle squid. The sashimi platter was a parade of exquisite flavors. The hassun course featured an array of dishes including grouper shinjo, fresh fu, taro, shrimp sushi, castella cake, chestnut, eringi mushroom, daikon leaf, ikura, and sanma, all fantastic. The grilled dish was grilled mackerel and bonito marinated in saikyo miso. The bonito was fatty and delicious. The palate cleanser was mackerel sushi. The fried dish was fried blowfish and cod milt spring rolls. The cod milt was upgraded in spring roll form. The simmered dish was taro and matsutake mushrooms in ankake sauce, incredibly delicious. The vinegared dish was pickled umeiro, a type of sea bream with grated cucumber on top. The umeiro had a firm texture and tasted like sea bream. The rice dish was matsutake mushroom rice with mushroom miso soup, a flavorful dish. For dessert, we had pear, persimmon, and grapes, accompanied by Ho-ou from Tsukasabotan and Momonodzuku from Matsumoto Sake Brewery. The food was truly amazing, with exceptional ingredients and innovative cooking techniques. It was the essence of kaiseki cuisine. We enjoyed the meal in our room while watching TV, feeling relaxed and satisfied with the price we paid. The innkeeper came to greet us during the meal, which made me a bit nervous. The hospitality was not overly extravagant but had a welcoming feel that did not make guests feel tense, the essence of hospitality. After breakfast, we had matcha in our room. The tea sweets were Masamitsu beans from Kanaya Masahiro, and although the tea was light, I preferred the one from Ippodo.

I heard that Kyoto is not crowded, so I decided to visit Kyoto. It was surprising that I was able to make a reservation just 5 days before the trip, especially during the holiday weekend. The food here is really delicious! I had the Kyoto kaiseki meal and it was amazing. I recommend staying here if you want to try authentic Kyoto cuisine. I also enjoyed the breakfast here.

Upon entering the building, one can feel the world of simplicity typical of a tea ceremony inn. The rooms consist of an 8-tatami mat room, a 6-tatami mat room with a bed, and a 4-tatami mat alcove, making for quite a spacious layout. However, the walls seem thin as voices from the hallway can be heard clearly. The Kyoto cuisine served here is well-known even among the top three families. The dishes are meticulously prepared, emphasizing the natural flavors of the ingredients. We thoroughly enjoyed the hospitality that showcased the essence of tea culture.

I stayed at the historic ryokan, Charcoal Inn, in Kyoto with my companion and had dinner there. The dinner I had here was beyond imagination in terms of deliciousness. Each dish was surprising, meticulously prepared to achieve the perfect balance of flavors, and beautifully presented. The portion size was just right, and the fact that you can enjoy these amazing dishes in a private room allows you to savor them to your heart's content. The service was very polite and pleasant, creating the perfect conditions for enjoying the best flavors. In particular, the grilled dishes, simmered dishes, the first dish (served in a persimmon-shaped container), and the fried dish (fried taro) were delicious. I was impressed not only by the skill of the chef, but also by the experience and sense required to create such dishes. I highly recommend it to those who truly want to enjoy delicious Japanese cuisine!

The meal was very filling. However, in terms of being a ryokan, the cost performance is not high.

Fetching water. The renovation is complete, and the orchids are in full bloom. Congratulations. Mr. Suifu's grilled wheat cakes and Uji ground tea. The elegant and lovely waitress. Greeting the landlady. Bed in a Japanese-style room, "Eitoku-Matsukaze." Connecting the main building and the new building with a covered corridor is a great feature. It looks like a bridge. Complex dream ability. Dinner. It's not a tea ceremony meal. On the low table, there are black lacquered matsuwari and Rikyu chopsticks. Kirin Lager. With a blue and white auspicious sake set and a Tokkuri, enjoying the charcoal shop's original Daiginjo "Yamazuru." A rich taste, from Nakamoto Sake Brewery in Ikoma. - Matsuno crab and yuzu rice pot. - Tanba chestnut tempura. - Shirakawa and Seigoin daikon vegetable soup bowl. Shiitake mushrooms, edible flowers, Minami greens, yuzu. The aroma of Shirakawa and daikon, the flavor of vegetables and yuzu. The thread pattern chrysanthemum is beautifully detailed. - Assorted sashimi. Akashi sea bream, yellowtail, botan shrimp, seasonal sprouts, orange vinegar, wasabi soy sauce. - Mountain-hanging of bluefin tuna and Buddha's palm potatoes. - Eight-inch plate on an old red painted corner plate. - Simmered acidulated stem, Tanba chestnut astringent skin, roasted ginkgo nuts with salt, Kansai roasted peanuts, oyster oil, simmered Amma with child ayu, squid ink, yellowtail belly, chrysanthemum sushi, mackerel sushi (with pickled slices, a favorite dish, can you order more?). - Simmered dish. Cloud child, taro, Kyoto celery, wood bud, sauce. - Soba noodles in a Kyo flute glass. Soup, grated radish, vinegar orange, wood bud. The scent of freshly made soba noodles is refreshing and delicious. Very impressive. - Oribefunemono-shaped bowl with Omi beef sirloin cut steak with chopsticks. - Grilled dishes. Manako fish in Saikyo style, red sea bream in soy sauce, botan shrimp head salted grilled, apple and grape ground. - Vinegar dish. Northern scallop, lotus, shiitake mushroom. - Mushroom rice. Tanba Jindai, maitake mushrooms, enoki mushrooms, garnish. A bowl of rice. Echizen Koyohide. "Can you make the rest into rice balls?" - Mochi and wheat gluten white miso soup. The spiciness is just right, oh, so delicious. This time it's a Kodaishu lacquerware. - Incense. Acidulated stem turnip, cucumber red shiba, Nara pickles, Hyakusen Sawan. - Fruits. La France pears, muscat grapes, Kyoho grapes, fresh chocolate, fruit cake. Hojicha. The taste of the broth. The elegance and beauty of the setting and presentation are more refined than rustic simplicity. I'm full. On the 7th and 17th, there will be a sweets party at "Tamatsukian" under the lanterns. Mr. Osamu's Kogurayama. Decorated with strained bean paste on a kneaded sweet potato, the autumn colors of Kogurayama are fleeting and melt in the mouth. "Kogurayama If you think it's happy to come to Kyoto, you won't wait for the snow to come." With a Komaen tea bowl, Matsuhana's old matcha from Koyasan, and chestnuts and pine needles from Kameya Iori. The chestnuts are pressed with cold plum flour and Yuhei sugar in a wooden mold, and the pine needles are kneaded with Suhamma and Yuhei sugar. The explanations of the setting and tea utensils are interesting and enjoyable. Four rules and seven precepts. "Coming to Kyoto, thinking happily, quietly, not waiting for the night at Rikyu's inn." Takano Maki's bath. Silk pajamas. The daily newspaper, mandarins, and "Morning tea is the most difficult to escape that day." Morning walk in the garden, enjoying the autumn leaves. Breakfast. - Steamed sea bream. - Boiled Kyoto vegetables and enoki mushrooms. - Simmered pumpkin and Tanba potatoes. - Snowflake greens. - Wakasa flounder overnight dried. - Grilled seaweed from Yamamoto-ya. - Yudofu. White tofu from Hirano-ya. Sweet and delicious with sea salt. - Rice. Tanba Kinuhikari. Cooked gently with new rice. The texture is delicious. - White miso soup with clams. - Incense. Chinese cabbage, kelp, pickled plum. - Fruits. Apples, melons, kiwis. Hojicha. Before leaving, have some hot water with azuki beans. It's a surprise. Taking the mushroom rice balls with you.

I decided to have lunch alone and enjoyed the experience at "Sumi-ya" restaurant. It is known as a tea ceremony inn, and I was able to see the most important tea room called "Gyokuto-an" at the restaurant. I also had the opportunity to see one of the vacant guest rooms. The atmosphere of the room with its elegant designs on the transoms and sliding door handles made my heart race. The dining room where I was served was dimly lit, maintaining its Taisho era charm. As I gazed at the garden reminiscent of Ginkaku-ji temple, it felt like rain was about to fall. The appetizer was a delicate dish that looked like a work of art, and the simmered dish had a rich flavor that melted in my mouth. The seasonal eight-course meal, including fresh bamboo leaf-wrapped sushi, was absolutely delicious. The assortment of dishes featuring Kamo eggplant, wheat gluten, and Japanese chili pepper was a delight. I couldn't resist having a second serving of the rice with beans. The hostess, who took care of me, was full of energy and always had a smile on her face. She even brought out a delicious bottle of junmai daiginjo sake (reasonably priced) for me to enjoy. We chatted about her experience working with the famous actor Shina Kippei on a TV show. Before I knew it, it was already three o'clock. I learned so much about the art of the Japanese tea ceremony, including architecture, art, craft, gardening, cuisine, and spirituality. Thank you so much for the wonderful experience!

I stayed at this ryokan in Kyoto for the second day of my trip. It is located near the city hall, where famous ryokans like Tawaraya are also situated. This was my first time staying at a ryokan in Kyoto, and it was a delightful experience at Kuroya Ryokan. Upon arrival at the ryokan, a staff member ran to the taxi to help with our luggage. It was a great start to our stay, and everything that followed was wonderful. We had some time before dinner, so we relaxed in the room's bath. Our room was on the second floor of the new building. Since I was there for business with acquaintances, a separate dining area was arranged for us where we had dinner and breakfast. - Dinner: The dishes had a gentle yet well-balanced flavor with a distinct Kyoto touch. The ayu from Lake Biwa was a luxurious treat. The miso soup was delicious, and the final rice and pickles left me feeling content. - Breakfast: The steamed egg custard was amazing, and the simmered fish was tender and tasty. I ended up having seconds of rice! Everything was simple but perfectly executed. The portion sizes were just right. I wish I could have this breakfast every day. Overall, the experience of staying at Kuroya Ryokan was fantastic. The room was ordinary, but the sound of rain was soothing. The hot bath and comfortable futon helped me relax and unwind.