Charming property in a fun neighborhood for exploring. Clean, well furnished, attentive host. A fun and unique stay

Close walk to subways with easy access to all areas around Kyoto

Staff was very friendly and helpful. Location is great and perfect for a family. Highly recommended.

Such a great place!

Such a great place!

Loved the quiet apartment. Great neighborhood and restaurants.

We spent 3 nights in Kyoto with our children (ages 7 and 9). This was a lovely property in a great location. Walking distance to several locations, and easy access to trains. The property is lovely and on a quiet street. Our hosts met us and showed us everything we would need. Lots of great recommendations on restaurants and locations to visit. Very clean and comfortable beds. Our kids were very happy sleeping on the Western Beds, while we loved the authentic experience of sleeping on the futons on the tatami mats. Would definitely stay here again and highly recommend.

Great location, charming, quiet, well appointed and comfortable. Owner's crew extremely helpful.

Great location, charming, quiet, well appointed and comfortable. Owner's crew extremely helpful.

Mariko was very helpful and responsive. She met us on the first day at the machiya. The place was clean and comfortable. There was no trouble until our last night when there were people below us. One of our sliding doors made noise when it was moved, and the people below complained about this but it was unavoidable. Mariko took care of the problem after we left. The short walk to the subway was convenient. Our favorite grocery store was the Fresca close by on Oike. The washer/drier was very convenient to have.

We just returned home from four very pleasant nights at Kamiza-an. I was looking for a traditional-type accommodation for our first trip to Kyoto, and liked the way Kamiza-an had been renovated, while keeping traditional details. The three rooms were comfortable, with beautiful wood ceilings, and very nice, new shower room, washer/dryer, and separate bath. What isn't mentioned is that the cooktop is a rather groovy induction unit, and special and cool materials are used in a variety of places- especially the toilet space and the kitchen backsplash. The small deck overlooking the garden was a perfect place for a cocktail after long days of exploring. Another special thing was being able to experience the feeling of a traditional house- when it's warm, opening up the windows created a very pleasant cross ventilation- smart traditional design. Kyoto proved to be wonderfully walkable, and the neighborhood surrounding Kamiza-an held all sorts of very cool places to eat, shop for crafts, and within a number of blocks, awesome food shopping. The rental contact was very responsive, and Mariko had lots of great tips for shopping and getting around. We'd stay here again, and are planning to.

We just returned home from four very pleasant nights at Kamiza-an. I was looking for a traditional-type accommodation for our first trip to Kyoto, and liked the way Kamiza-an had been renovated, while keeping traditional details. The three rooms were comfortable, with beautiful wood ceilings, and very nice, new shower room, washer/dryer, and separate bath. What isn't mentioned is that the cooktop is a rather groovy induction unit, and special and cool materials are used in a variety of places- especially the toilet space and the kitchen backsplash. The small deck overlooking the garden was a perfect place for a cocktail after long days of exploring. Another special thing was being able to experience the feeling of a traditional house- when it's warm, opening up the windows created a very pleasant cross ventilation- smart traditional design. Kyoto proved to be wonderfully walkable, and the neighborhood surrounding Kamiza-an held all sorts of very cool places to eat, shop for crafts, and within a number of blocks, awesome food shopping. The rental contact was very responsive, and Mariko had lots of great tips for shopping and getting around. We'd stay here again, and are planning to.

Home was clean, beds were fine, everything was exactly as described. Mariko was there for our arrival, was easy to communicate with. The location is superb, near the intersection of the two main subway lines, not far from the Hankyu line that connects Kyoto to Osaka, and an easy 20 minute walk to downtown (we also loved Sanjo dori, this is the most enjoyable route downtown). Also close to Nijo Castle, and a remarkable Starbucks on Karasuma dori that has a full open glass exposure to an adjacent temple. Machiya style accommodation could be an issue for taller people, but that is an issue for any traditional home in Kyoto. Would stay there again.

We truly enjoyed every single minute spent in this beautiful house. The house is very well decorated, cozy and we felt like at home. The house had everything we needed: from linen to coffee and tea. The fully equipped kitchen allowed us to cook anything we desired to. The location is just great. Very close from Shijo Dori, a street full of stylish boutiques and nice shops. There are also a few supermarkets at a doorstep. If we had to share something to improve that would definitely be the windows. Sunrise in Japan is at about 5am, so some curtains would have been appreciated. Overall, however, this did not made our experience worse at all! Thank you Mariko for all the nice indications, tips and recommendations you gave us the first day. We hope to see you soon in Kyoto again!

We truly enjoyed every single minute spent in this beautiful house. The house is very well decorated, cozy and we felt like at home. The house had everything we needed: from linen to coffee and tea. The fully equipped kitchen allowed us to cook anything we desired to. The location is just great. Very close from Shijo Dori, a street full of stylish boutiques and nice shops. There are also a few supermarkets at a doorstep. If we had to share something to improve that would definitely be the windows. Sunrise in Japan is at about 5am, so some curtains would have been appreciated. Overall, however, this did not made our experience worse at all! Thank you Mariko for all the nice indications, tips and recommendations you gave us the first day. We hope to see you soon in Kyoto again!

My family of 4 adults stayed in this lovely machiya for 5 nights. It was beautifully appointed yet cozy. Well stocked with coffee and tea. If you want to cook you will need to provide everything for food preparation but kitchen has all necessities such as full set of dishes, glass wear, pots/pans and utensils. Reasonable sized refrigerator, nespresso makerr, nice small oven/microwave but limited to one stovetop burner. We only made breakfast and snacks so this worked well for us. The sleeping arrangements were nice. One room western full bed and a twin, really comfortable for us, soft with support, great pillows! Other room had 2 futons, also comfortable, limited closet space and hangers, no dresser storage or shelves but standard for Japanese accommodations. Air conditioning nice, washer/dryer(we used it and hung a lot of things inside to dry instead of using dryer component(typical combo unit not like separate machines) but would have been better to have an outside line or racks for drying. Wonderful shower! It's centrally located within walking distance of subway, many close restaurants. Property contact was readily accessible by phone, message or email and provided face to face with renters downstairs, very nice! Would highly recommend this place for 4 adults or 2 adults with 3 children but not suited for much larger family, iimho. We enjoyed our stay very much!

My family of 4 adults stayed in this lovely machiya for 5 nights. It was beautifully appointed yet cozy. Well stocked with coffee and tea. If you want to cook you will need to provide everything for food preparation but kitchen has all necessities such as full set of dishes, glass wear, pots/pans and utensils. Reasonable sized refrigerator, nespresso makerr, nice small oven/microwave but limited to one stovetop burner. We only made breakfast and snacks so this worked well for us. The sleeping arrangements were nice. One room western full bed and a twin, really comfortable for us, soft with support, great pillows! Other room had 2 futons, also comfortable, limited closet space and hangers, no dresser storage or shelves but standard for Japanese accommodations. Air conditioning nice, washer/dryer(we used it and hung a lot of things inside to dry instead of using dryer component(typical combo unit not like separate machines) but would have been better to have an outside line or racks for drying. Wonderful shower! It's centrally located within walking distance of subway, many close restaurants. Property contact was readily accessible by phone, message or email and provided face to face with renters downstairs, very nice! Would highly recommend this place for 4 adults or 2 adults with 3 children but not suited for much larger family, iimho. We enjoyed our stay very much!

I am a physician and have high standards in selecting accommodations. This was our family's first trip to Japan, and my wife and I were traveling with our two sons, ages 21 and 23. We happened across this listing on VRBO, and would a gem! We stayed upstairs, and the house is beautiful and charming decorated in a traditional Japanese style, but with modern amenities and appliances (my sons both said it was the nicest place they had ever stayed in, and we've stayed in some lovely places). The agent, Mariko, who speaks fluent English, couldn't have been any nicer or more gracious in greeting us upon our arrival, helping us feel welcome, and orienting us to Kyoto. The location of the house is excellent, and only a 10' walk from the subway station.

This is our first family trip to Japan. With two young children, this property was perfect for our needs. It is in a very quiet and safe neighborhood with no busy tourism stuff going on. Yet it is very convenient by being close to subway stations and major streets. There is also a small market just several minutes of walking from the rental property, which has milk, bread, eggs etc in case we need anything. The house has the traditional charms and modern amenities. We enjoyed the shower particularly. The washer/dryer was definitely helpful when you have young kids traveling. It was very comfortable for the four of us with floor heating and air conditioning during a November stay. Mariko is very responsive, friendly and helpful. She speaks fluent English which is a great help for our stay. Prior to our arrival, she gave us tips on how to travel to Kyoto etc. During our stay, she recommended restaurants and even helped to make reservations for us. We have already recommended this property to several friends for their future consideration. We wish we had a longer stay to fully explore Kyoto and enjoy Shimoza-an.

Our first visit to Japan and to the beautiful city of Kyoto has given my wife and me enormous pleasure and its was an experience of a lifetime. A great part of the success of this incredible vacation was due to the quality and the location of the vacation house Shimoza-an and even more to our lovely host Mariko. First things first: Mariko's presence has been a joy on its own, she is to us the personification of 'das Land des Lächelns', Japan as 'the country of smiles' and of the polite helpfulness of the Japanese people. Her omnipresent assistance, the abundant fountain of information, her accompanying us on an introductory walk in the neighbourhood, Mariko as help desk at the phone when we needed her during our Kyoto walks, her tips for interesting addresses and people (on our request she even took us to a carpenter in Arashiyama for a talk about wood carving and Japanese chisels and whetting stones), her visiting the vacation house to check if we needed something: Mariko has been our ever smiling personal guide, private shopping assistant and reliable interpreter. "Arigatissimo", Mariko!!! You are a jewel in the crown that Kyoto is. We were lucky to stay in Shimoza-an for two weeks. And even after a brief Ryokan experience at the more than superb Shiraume Ryokan, we were glad to return to Shimoza-an, a large and comfortable renovated machiya close to Sanjo-dori. This is smack in the cosiest part of Kyoto city center and yet in an extremely quiet location in Kamanza-dori. No loud taxis during the night like in Gion, no drunk tourists, no unrealistic touristic surroundings like Gion, no crowds of school children shopping in souvenir and snack shops. This neighbourhood is real, with real Kyoto people, buying fruit at a local fruit stand, riding a bicycle to work or having a coffee at nearby Starbuck's. But also, the big shopping district is just a short walk away. Do not hesitate: Shimoza-an is the ideal place for a vacation in this miraculous, fantastic, beautiful, easy going city of Kyoto. We will be very glas to come back!

Kamiza-an is an excellent machiya if you want to experience staying in a traditional Kyoto house. It has all the facilities you need in the house if you stay for a number of nights. The vinicity is filled with interesting local and small shops. Mariko is an excellent host. She provides all the information which makes your stay really comfortable and is very prompt in answering any enquiries which you might have about the area or Kyoto.

We stayed at the house for 3 days and absolutely loved it. It appeared to be newly renovated, very clean and much more spacious than anticipated. The house would definitely accommodate up to 4 guests comfortably. The location itself was fantastic (very central and right by Sanjo dori) but away from the traffic hence very quiet. There were some cute little restaurants and bars nearby. Our sweet host Mariko spoke English fluently and there were no issues checking in or out. I would definitely recommend Kamiza-an for those looking for a machiya experience in Kyoto.

This house is clean and has almost everything you need. To top it off, it even has a massage bath, Nespresso machine (capsules provided)! It is a short walk from the subway. There is a convenience store nearby. Nishiki market and Nijo Castle are within walking distance. Great location. There is another market nearby which I wanted to explore but did not have time. It is along Sanjo and less crowded as compared to Nishiki market. Do note that its on the 2nd floor and the stairs are small.

Loved it. Beautiful traditional home with all of the mod cons you need. The host was most gracious and helpful. Thank you Mariko. 25min walk to downtown Kyoto. Lots of restaurants and convenience stores at your doorstep. Lovely comfortable futons and futon beds, Nespresso, washer/dryer. Perfect for 4 adults. Could fit more. Big by Japanese standards. Couldn't fault this place.

The location is perfect. Close to shopping, restaurants and very easy to get to Gion...which is nice to visit, but not to stay. The home is in perfect (new) condition and great for a long stay with washer/dryer and kitchen. Mariko is very friendly and a great host. Highly recommended!

I enjoyed my stay here and would recommend it. It was remodeled just be before we got there so it was clean and well maintained. It had most everything you need and was comfortable for four adults. It is centrally located and within walking distance to many restaurants, a subway station and some major attractions. The unit's representative lived nearby and was very helpful.

As a family, we loved this cozy, centrally located place. We were fortunate enough to be the first ones to stay there and have everything be brand new! The managers were extremely kind, helpful and accessible since it was our first time in Kyoto. It helped that we were able to cook some for ourselves and do some laundry. It is close to a castle, a subway line, tasty food and even a Starbucks. Four people was the perfect amount. We could have fit a couple more but it would have been crowded. A great place indeed!