The Best Ryokan in Kyoto

These are the best high-end ryokan in Kyoto, in rough order of preference. I’ve personally inspected all the places on this list.

Tawaraya: Tawaraya isn’t just the best ryokan in Kyoto – it may be the best ryokan in Japan. There are even some who call this the finest accommodation in the world. It’s a magical sanctuary that you’ll never want to leave. The service is supernaturally good here: they know what you want before you do. This is the place to sample the Japanese ryokan experience. Pros: Perfect service, lovely gardens, beautiful rooms, superb food, convenient downtown location. Cons: Can’t think of any.

Hiiragiya: Located directly across the street from the Tawaraya, the Hiiragiya is a polished ryokan thoroughly at home with foreign guests. There are immaculate rooms in the new wing, but I like the wabi-sabi patina of the rooms in the old wing. Pros: Great food, excellent service, beautiful gardens, convenient downtown location. Cons: Less intimate in scale than some other inns.

Ugenta: All the way up in the tiny hamlet of Kibune (one valley over from Kurama and its famous temple), Ugenta is a rare find. The inn is divided into two exquisite units (and they only accept two groups per evening). One side is Western-style – all smooth wood and modern furnishings – the other is traditional Japanese – with sublime old Japan touches. Both units have indoor baths and private outdoor baths that face the mountainside. This would be a brilliant spot for a romantic getaway (and it’s just 30 minutes by taxi from Kyoto). Pros: Giant apartment-size private units, all the mod cons, the latest in Japanese design, great food, impossibly quaint village location. Cons: Nothing to do in the village at night (but, you’d be crazy to want to leave the inn, so this doesn’t really matter).

Tamahan: Designed as a “hidden ryokan,” Tamahan really does feel like a hidden refuge in the city. Located on my favorite pedestrian-only alley in Kyoto, Ishibei-koji, this inn may be the best located ryokan in Kyoto. Rooms look out over a fantastic inner garden and the decorations are museum quality. Pros: Brilliant location, excellent food, huge rooms. Cons: Very expensive.

Hoshinoya: No ryokan in Kyoto comes close to Hoshinoya for dramatic approach: a private boat will whisk you up the Oigawa River to a boat landing, where the staff will greet you and escort you to your room. Surrounded by greenery, overlooking the rushing waters of the river, this place feels like a completely different world from Kyoto, but a quick trip back down the river brings you to the bustling Arashiyama tourist district. The design here is modern Japanese and the feeling is of extreme privacy. Pros: Magical river approach, fantastic riverside setting, slick modern design. Cons: A bit of a hike to downtown.

Hatanaka: Right on the doorstep of Yasaka-jinja Shrine and Maruyama-koen Park, Hatanaka is a spacious modern ryokan with some expansive beautifully decorated rooms and a young manager who knows how to serve foreign guests. They put on regular geisha entertainment and the food is first-class. Pros: Right in the heart of the Southern Higashiyama sightseeing district, comfortable with foreign guests. Cons: A bit large for some people’s taste.

Seikoro: Once you step into the secluded entryway, it’s like you’ve stepped into another world. The Seikoro is a classic ryokan with almost flamboyant decorative touches that recall art nouveau. All rooms look over lovely gardens and have fine wooden bathtubs. Pros: Attentive service, lovely décor, comfortable with foreign guests. Cons: Gojo-dori location is somewhat inconvenient (but, it’s close to a subway station and within walking distance of Kiyomizu-dera and Gion).

Yoshida Sanso: Like the name suggests, this superb ryokan is located up on Yoshida-yama, a beautiful hill in the northeast part of town. The rooms here are beautiful and the food is wonderful, but the location is the real attration here: walk out the door and in a few minutes, you’ll find yourself in some of Kyoto’s most beautiful (and seldom visited) temples. Pros: Stunning location, beautiful front garden, warm service. Cons: A fair distance from downtown.


Please note that this list is just one man’s opinion. Ranking these wonderful ryokan is like choosing a favorite Beatles record or Thai Island: They’re all so good, it’s almost pointless to play favorites. One thing is for sure: A night in any of these ryokan will be an unforgettable experience. Keep checking this blog: in future posts, I’ll list my favorite mid-range and budget ryokan.

Chris Rowthorn on Japanese TV

Back in March, I appeared on TV in Japan to introduce some of my favorite secret spots in Kyoto. If you have a chance, check some of them out.

Going Way Back

As I mentioned in the post below, I visited Tofuku-ji Temple with my old friends John and Paul yesterday. We go way back. I mean, I've known these guys from college. John, in the middle, now teaches Japanese studies in Oxford. I met him at Vassar College, where he was two years ahead of me. He came to Japan after he graduated from Vassar to study Buddhism. He invited me over to Japan a few years later. Thus, it is to John that I owe being in Japan and my entire present life. He is what the Japanese would call my "senpai" (no good translations are available, but "senior" or "superior" point in the right direction). Next to John, on the right, is Paul, who didn't go to Vassar but was John's friend from elementary school back in New York. Paul used to come up to Vassar to hang out, so I've known him literally since the late 80's. Paul currently lives in Kyoto. We've gone trekking in the Japan Alps, the Himalayas and snorkelling in Thailand together. And, we've all, at one point or other, lived in New York City. So we can sit and talk about Japanese history and Buddhism with New York accents; though John has been in England so long I'm starting to hear a bit of an English accent. Luckily, I was born in England and my dad is English, so I'm bilingual. Talk about a lot of history. Fuggeddaboudit!!!

Shinryoku - The New Green of Spring

Yesterday, I had the rare pleasure of visiting one of my favorite Kyoto temples (Tofuku-ji) with two of my oldest and best friends, John and Paul. The temple is famous for its maple trees, which turn a brilliant crimson in Autumn. But few people realize just how beautiful these trees are in April, when they display their "shinryoku" (the new, fresh green of springtime). The temple is also doing a special opening of its fantastic San-mon gate until May 15th. If you can get there, I HIGHLY recommend going up into the gate and checking it out. The interior of the upper floor is supposed to represent the Buddhist paradise, and this one is truly heavenly.

Here is the famous north side of the Hojo Garden at Tofuku-ji, designed by Shigemori Mirei:


Here is what I mean by "shinryoku" (the new green of spring):


Here is a still life from a subtemple nearby, with some fallen camelia leaves. Note how Japanese gardens often look best in a light rain:


Here is another view of the Hojo garden:

Cherries Still Working in Kyoto

I just snapped this shot of a lovely "beni-shidare-zakura" cherry tree at the north end of the Gosho Imperial Palace Park. The cherries are still going off all over town. If you're anywhere near Kyoto, come see them!

Come Back to Japan!

I got this incredible YouTube vid from a friend of a guide who works with me in Tokyo.

Cherries are Peaking in Kyoto

Japan has been in need of some good news recently and nature really came through in the form of a truly historic cherry blossom season here in Kyoto.

Here are some nice cherries in Gion:


Here are some nice ones along the Shirakawa Canal, near the Museum of Modern Art:


Here are a few much closer to home (I walk my son on this route almost every day):