Historic and Elegant Suite in Kyoto

This truly is a stunning place, rich in tradition and unusual features, and it's HUGE. We had our own bathroom with a nice deep bath, and a bedroom each. It's easy to get to from the station, just 1 stop from Kyoto and Seanacey was most helpful whenever we needed directions or advice. The bar downstairs is quaint & we were lucky enough to be there on a night when there was a local singer / songwriter playing, which apparently isn't that often, so noise isn't a problem. We highly recommend Seanacey & Kojiro and their beautiful home.

We had a fantastic stay in Kyoto. You get a real Japanese feeling here. Seanacey and Kojiro were the perfect hosts, so sweet. It's perfect for going sightseeing in Kyoto, easy to take the train from there and cosy to stroll around in the neighbourhood. Seanacey even took us on a guided tour and shoved us places we wouldn't have found ourselves. We would definitely go back if we are so lucky to come back to Kyoto.

The Hosts: Kojiro and Seanacey are one of the nicest couples we've ever met, friendly, helpful and very nice, more than one could ever expect. Mobile phone emergency dash is the best illustration of their dedication.
The Ryokan: Very pleasant, well appointed, the first, living floor, in addition to three Japanese style bedrooms, separate well appointed bathroom and toilets, consists of large Japanese style lounge room and very cosy European style smaller lounge room appointed in stylish furniture and old artifacts.
The ground floor being the bar/cafe with lots of space and seating, oozing with coziness is just fantastic. Early 1900 style setup and decorations, amended with matching music. Good selection of drinks including good selection of Japanese whiskey. Just sheer pleasure to stay.
The surroundings: Quiet part of old Kyoto, close to train and several parks and Shrines. Busy wholesale market few minutes walk away.
Overall: hard to resist, would stay again being in Kyoto.

I couldn't imagine a better place to stay in Kyoto than with Kojiro and Seanacey. The place is wonderful, particularly for larger groups. I was originally just going to go with my three sisters, but the parents also wanted to join, so we were a group of six. There were three rooms with two futons each, and the sleeping was as comfortable as futons get. There was also plenty of living space, so it felt like everyone could have some room to him or herself, which is very hard in Japanese houses. There were two large tatami rooms and a western-style sitting room with chairs and a sofa which the older folks particularly enjoyed. The space was beautiful, it was almost like living in a museum. Each room has some interesting and historic details to explore. This proved to be great on the one day that it rained and we didn't want to leave - the house provided plenty of entertainment. There is also a lovely bar/cafe downstairs where we sipped coffee and whiskeys and chatted with our charming hosts and their customers. There was no noise from the bar when we were upstairs. Kojiro and Seanacey are a lovely couple and made sure that we had everything we needed. They made us feel right at home. They also provided a handy map to the area with recommendations for restaurants. When we were leaving, one of my sisters left her cellphone behind. They jumped right into their car and caught her taxi on the way to the station. I will be recommending this place to any of my friends going to Kyoto, and I hope one day to be back myself.

It's really a nice stay in the historic house. Kojiro and Seanacey parepared very useful map, and provided ausome recommendation for food and place to visit. Next time to Kyoto, i'll book it as well if it's availbe.

Our family of 4 (2 teenage boys) stayed 2 nights at the Kinse Inn in Kyoto (March 2014). If you're looking to experience authentic "back street" Kyoto / Japan, this is the place for you to stay. The Inn felt like stepping back in time (but there is WiFi :) with the tatami mats, the slippers and the futons to sleep on (not sure if that's the accurate word for them?). We enjoyed some quiet family time playing cards in the sitting room - we had the whole upstairs to ourselves, so it was private. The neighborhood was also charming and the restaurants recommended by Kojiro and Seanacey were all wonderful and inexpensive. Have your (website hidden) translator app (or something similar) handy because the local restaurant personnel do not speak English. For us, this added to the adventure and we never went hungry.
Kinse Inn is withing easy walking distance of a train station that is 1 stop away from Kyoto station, but Kojiro and Seanacey will also call you a taxi if needed. Definitely recommended!

Those looking for a truly unique Japanese experience should look no further than this lovely converted inn in Kyoto. I can't do justice to just how beautiful the suite is, so please see the pictures; They don't exaggerate. If you're traveling with a group of adults, the suite is especially ideal as it is very large: immense by Japanese standards and could handle three couples easily.

As a few people have mentioned, the only drawback is the heat. We were there in March when it was cold enough to snow outside. The main rooms have individual heaters that are completely fine, but there is one really nice room without it's own heater and that was chilly.

The cafe downstairs is a great, cozy place to relax after a day of sight-seeing. The hosts were extremely helpful, recommended some great restaurants and helped with reservations, taxis, etc.

We would definitely stay there again if we're ever fortunate enough to be back in Kyoto. Don't miss the Sumiya Museum if you are there. It's only a couple doors away, and it is gorgeous!

Well maintained property given the age of the building (it's older than the US as a country). The space, I felt, was indicative of Kojiro and Seanacey: traditional Japanese building with some old school US furnishing inside.

For the money, the space was expansive. Accommodations were good across the board. The hosts were attentive and flexible to our traveling requirements.

We really enjoyed our stay with Kojiro and Seanacey. The suite is charming, authentic, conveniently located, and spacious. The shower, tatami mat flooring, and sliding shoji doors are awesome. We recommend popping over to the market (2 blocks away) one morning to see all of the fresh fish preparations and other goods being sold. (similar to Tsukiji fish market in some ways) Also convenient is that there are a couple of spas/public baths down the street which we went to multiple times.

We would definitely stay here again.

Four of us stayed for two nights and had a great time. We got a first hand glimpse into traditional Japanese accommodations and so for us it was more than a place to stay - it was a unique experience. We really enjoyed how much space there was and the rooms were beautiful, with light coming through the screens and a charming sitting room a few steps up from the rest of the second floor. It is lovely and very clean and a perfect retreat after a busy day.
It's a good idea to ask the charming hosts for directions to local restaurants. In our case they also provided instructions in Japanese to alert restaurant staff about a food allergy one of us had.
Well done Seanacey and Kojiro!!

Kojiro is laid-back, kind, and knowledgeable about his hometown, Kyoto!

Whether you're interested in drinking a quiet bowl of tea in a local temple garden, sampling Kyoto nightlife at an old school izakaya, or wandering through the bamboo groves in Arashiyama, he can point you in the right direction.