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The front tatami room of BenTen West, looking out through the full-height wooden lattice onto the lane
The West House · 431-4 Kamibenten-cho
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BenTen WestPrivate 3-bedroom machiya in Gion–Higashiyama, Kyoto
Sleeps 5 · 70 m² (about 750 sqft)

See BenTen East
Entire House
Whole machiya
Yours alone, no other guests
Bedrooms
Three
Two on the upper storey, one on the lower storey
Sleeps
Up to five
One room with two semi-double beds, two with futons
Area
70 m²
About 750 sqft, two storeys
Bathrooms
Two
2 toilets, 1 shower room, 1 bath with shower
What you're booking

The more intimate of the two houses, and entirely yours. Stay, rather than pass through. Morning light on tatami, tea in your own kitchen, the sounds of the lane outside — a small life in old Kyoto, for as long as you are here.

Inside the house
The dining table and chairs beside the long sofa, with the courtyard and its slender trees through the open wall The living room end to end — low table, sofa and dining table under the exposed timber ceiling The lounge — a long dark sofa and low wooden table on pale timber, open to the planted courtyard The front tatami room, its full-height wooden lattice filtering the light off the lane The upper-storey tatami room under the dark exposed rafters, with a low table and floor chairs The bedroom under the timber roof, the bed made up beneath a shoji-screened window The kitchen along the hallway — stainless counter and fridge set between cedar shelving The entrance — a single stone step into the dark indigo genkan, lit by a narrow panel of light The bathroom — a deep tub in pale stone tile, with a long window onto the lit bamboo and slatted screen The washbasin and mirror, set into pale timber beside the bathroom Both houses from the lane at dusk — BenTen West on the right, East alongside it, lit behind their lattice fronts A wooden chest against a blackened post, set on the tatami The front of BenTen West after dark, the house crest lit beside the latticed door The lane outside in daylight, the two machiya on the left running down toward Higashiyama Floor plan — BenTen West, upper storey, 370 square feet: a Japanese-style bedroom, a Western-style bedroom and a study Floor plan — BenTen West, lower storey, 420 square feet: entrance hall, living and dining room, kitchen, bath and garden
Why this house

A private garden beyond the bath

The wider rear garden opens from the lower storey, with the bath looking directly onto it.

Personal hospitality

A host welcomes you personally on arrival, then the place is yours — come and go on your own hours with a private keypad code. Housekeeping visits every other day; between times, nobody comes through the door. Our bilingual eConcierge is on hand before and during your stay for restaurant reservations, transport and ideas for exploring Kyoto.

Traditional character, modern comfort

Retained beams, tatami and paper screens sit alongside underfloor heating, air conditioning, a fully equipped kitchen and fast Wi-Fi. Tatami futons or Western-style beds — whichever you prefer, made up before you arrive.

In the house

Enjoy a fully equipped machiya, ready for your arrival

Floor Heating
Full Kitchen
Nespresso
Washer / Dryer
Garden-Facing Bath
WiFi
Fabric Steamer
Air Conditioning
Cot & Highchair

Kitchen

  • Refrigerator
  • Induction stovetop
  • Microwave oven
  • Electric kettle
  • Rice cooker
  • Nespresso machine with complimentary capsules
  • Cookware & tableware

Bathrooms

  • Bath with shower, facing the garden
  • Separate shower room on the upper storey
  • Two toilets, one per storey
  • Face & bath towels
  • Hair dryer
  • Shampoo, conditioner & body soap
  • Hand soap

Comfort

  • Underfloor heating
  • Air conditioning & heating
  • Free high-speed WiFi
  • Netflix
  • Washer / dryer
  • Fabric steamer
  • Blackout blinds in upper-storey bedrooms
  • Private back garden
  • Non-smoking throughout

In the bathroom

  • Toothbrush & toothpaste
  • Cotton set

Practical

  • Private keypad entry
  • Private check-in & check-out
  • Luggage storage
  • Baby cot (free, on request)
  • Highchair (free, on request)
  • Stroller available on request
  • Cashless payment accepted

Safety

  • In-room safe
  • Smoke alarms
  • Fire extinguishers
  • Security alarm
  • CCTV outside the property
Good to know
A stay without stairs
Everything you need is on the lower storey — a bedroom, a WC, the bath, the kitchen and the living room — so you can stay entirely on one level. We will make up the lower-storey bedroom for you; just tell us when you book. The stair to the upper storey is the original, a little narrower and steeper than a modern one.
Check-in / Check-out
Check-in from 15:00 / Check-out by 11:00
Cot & highchair
A baby cot and highchair are available on request, at no charge.
House rules
No smoking. Please remove shoes before entering the living areas beyond the traditional 玄関 entrance.
Minimum stay
One night · longer stays welcome
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Take the West House

Have the whole house

Book the house yourself, in a few clicks, and it is confirmed straight away. Or send us an enquiry instead. If you have special wishes, an awkward arrival time or a party that needs arranging, we would rather hear it from you and sort it by hand.

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