Gagakuan

Spent four days at Gagakuan, satisfied, although unexpected cold weather even in spring. Late sakura blooming, still managed to view some. Did not follow tour, rather venture on our own. Visited places of interest but unable to cover all due to insufficient time, maybe next time would to come again.

Stayed there for six nights, and found it very comfortable with all the facilities provided for a relaxing stay.

Our family of four (two kids aged 11 and 15) enjoyed a fantastic week at Gagakuan. Our host Saki was very responsive from the initial reservation until we departed. She even dropped off a delicious birthday cake for my daughter who celebrated her birthday the day before we arrived. This is not a traditional hotel room but a traditional Japanese house in a very nice neighbourhood. The house itself is very well equipped and a fantastic way to experience living in a traditional family home. Although more than 100 years old and very traditional, it has been equipped with a number of modern touches that enhance the stay. Our two kids were absolutely fascinated with the house and the entire environment. For our purposes, it was ideally situated between Kyoto station and central Kyoto. The Gojo subway stop and the bus stop are both less than a five minute walk from the house. This allows you to easily access the public transportation system to all of the wonderful temples. We also took side trips to Osaka, Nara and a day trip to Hiroshima using our Japan rail passes. Except for a few hot days (typical for Kyoto in the summer), we had a perfect time in Kyoto thanks to our great stay at Gagakaun and the kind generosity of Saki. We hope we get another chance to return to Kyoto and see the things we missed this visit and stay here again.