Kikuhama

The house is located by the Takasegawa River, a small stream leading to the Kiyamachi restaurant and bar district. It's in the center of Kyoto, a 10-minute walk from JR Kyoto Central Station. Although it's downtown, it's part of a local community, nestled at the end of a very quiet and silent alley.

Description of the house

Kikuhama house is ideal for two people, with a bedroom on tatami mats on the ground floor, a bathroom opening onto an interior courtyard, and a living room lit by a large bow window and zenith windows. There is also a mezzanine space on tatami mats accessible by a staircase-ladder, which can accommodate one or two people.

Kikuhama House is a traditional wooden house built over a century ago, completely restored in 2017. Its name comes from "the bay of chrysanthemums" (kikuhama). Kikuhama is also happens to be the name of this district where prostitution was authorized until the 1960s. It's a machiya of the townhouse type (nagaya) and today equipped with a heated floor, new double-glazed windows and skylights opening onto its high ceiling, and even a mezzanine above the master bedroom.

The neighborhood

The neighborhood, called Kikuhama or Gojo rakuen ("Gojo's paradise"), is located between two rivers, Takasegawa and Kamogawa. It was a yûkaku, one of the pleasure districts, managed by the yakuza, and it kept the atmosphere a little mysterious. Today it is one of the most sought after areas for new hotels, cafes and brasseries, but it is still a secluded place, while being in the center of the city.