Welcomes the guests with a playful mind and hospitality

The owner of HARUYA Umekouji, Mr. Yuki Kobayashi, has always wished to preserve as many machiya townhouses as possible in Kyoto. His answer was to open a guesthouse in a machiya building. The first was opened in 2011 and Umekouji is his second. The building retains the classical machiya townhouse structures including an earthen-floor entrance, kitchen and courtyard garden. Kobayashi also provides interesting Kyoto workshops like Buddhist sutra copying and Karakami (special Japanese handmade paper) making experience that will make your trip in Kyoto even more unforgettable. There are also a number of books about Kyoto, which guests can use for research and to learn about the city.