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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
西

BenTen WestPrivate 3-bedroom machiya in Higashiyama, Kyoto
Sleeps 5 · 70 m² (about 750 sqft)

The House
Whole machiya
Two storeys, 70 m² (about 750 sqft)
Sleeps
Up to five
two bedrooms on the upper storey, one on the lower storey
Kitchen
Your own
Fully fitted
Bathrooms
Two
2 toilets, 1 shower room, 1 bath with shower
Arrival
Personal welcome
Bilingual concierge
What you're booking

The quieter of the two houses, and entirely yours: three bedrooms across the two storeys, two bathrooms, a full kitchen and a bath facing the back garden. 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
What you get

A whole restored machiya, the service of a small hotel, and someone in Kyoto working on your trip before you land.

01

The house, entirely

Two storeys, 70 m² (about 750 sqft). Three bedrooms — two on the upper storey, one on the lower storey — for up to five guests.

  • Yours alone, with no other guests in the house
  • A bathroom on each storey: 2 toilets, a shower room above, a bath with shower below
  • A sliding front and earth-floored genkan stepping up to tatami
  • A private garden at the back, wider than the East's
  • One night minimum. Longer stays welcome
02

Attentive service, complete privacy

A personal welcome at the house, then the place is yours.

  • Complimentary housekeeping every other day, with your privacy respected between visits
  • The bath run hot for your return if you say the word
  • Beds your way: tatami futons or Western, set before arrival
  • Enough fresh towels at check-in for daily use, replaced at each cleaning visit
  • A keypad code, so your hours stay your own
03

Kyoto, handled

A bilingual concierge at work on your trip before you arrive.

  • Restaurant bookings and an itinerary you can actually walk
  • Transport and tickets arranged before you arrive

One nightly rate from a single night: a century-old house that is yours alone, with housekeeping every other day.

What's included

Everything quiet, none of it standing in the way.

The same small set as the East. We try not to overdo it.

The entrance of BenTen West: a single stone step into the dark indigo genkan, lit by a narrow panel of light01

A personal welcome at the house

A personal welcome is arranged for arrivals within a reasonable, pre-agreed check-in window: a host welcomes you at the door and introduces the property. Alternative check-in arrangements are available for late or significantly delayed arrivals, and departure assistance can be coordinated around your plans. Leave a phone number when you book. A private keypad code means you can still come and go on your own hours.

The lounge, with a long dark sofa and low wooden table, open to the planted courtyard02

A concierge before you arrive

Bilingual, English and Japanese, and already at work on your trip before you land. Restaurant bookings, an itinerary and transport, included with every stay.

The kitchen counter set between cedar shelving, stocked and ready to cook in03

A kitchen ready to cook in

The kitchen is fully equipped for preparing meals. For hygiene reasons, we do not stock shared condiments or opened food items, but supermarkets and convenience stores nearby make it easy to pick up anything you may need.

The deep tub in the West bathroom, filled and waiting, the bamboo lit beyond the long window04

The bath drawn for you

Run whenever you would like it. Say the word on your way out and it is hot and waiting when you get back.

The bed made up under the timber roof05

Beds your way

Tatami futons or Western beds — your choice, and the rooms are set that way before you arrive.

The upper-storey tatami room under the dark exposed rafters06

Housekeeping every other day

The house is refreshed every other day, including towel replacement and amenity replenishment. Between visits nobody comes through the door — the house stays exclusively yours.

Practical things
Address
431-4 Kamibenten-cho, Higashiyama, Kyoto
Sleeps
Up to five guests in three bedrooms: two on the upper storey, one on the lower storey. One has two semi-double beds (196cm L × 120cm W), two have futons.
A stay without stairs
The stair is original, so it is narrower and steeper than a modern one. Everything you need sits on the lower storey — a bedroom, a WC, the bath, the kitchen and the living room — and we will make up the lower-storey bedroom for you. Tell us when you book.
Bath
One bathroom on each storey, each with its own toilet and shower. The lower-storey bathroom also has a bath, facing the garden.
Beds
Tatami futons or Western beds, your choice. Tell us your preference and we set the rooms before you arrive.
Amenities
Complimentary toiletries and thick cotton towels in both bathrooms. Enough fresh towels are prepared at check-in for daily use, and replaced at each cleaning visit.
Housekeeping
Complimentary housekeeping every other day: bathrooms and living areas refreshed, used towels replaced and amenities replenished. Your privacy is respected at all other times.
Concierge
A complimentary bilingual concierge with every stay, before you arrive and during it.
Minimum stay
One night · longer stays welcome
Check-in / Check-out
Check-in from 15:00 / Check-out by 11:00
Quietly noted
No smoking. Please remove shoes before entering the living areas beyond the traditional doma entrance.
Take both houses
East and West side by side, up to 11 guests together. See the East House →
In the house

Everything you need, quietly provided.

WiFi
Floor Heating
Full Kitchen
Induction Stove
Microwave
Refrigerator
Rice Cooker
TV
Hairdryer
Washer / Dryer
Iron
AC + Heater
Bathtub
Toiletries

Kitchen

  • Refrigerator
  • Induction stovetop
  • Microwave oven
  • Electric kettle
  • Rice cooker
  • 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
  • Iron & ironing board
  • Private back garden
  • Non-smoking throughout

In the bathroom

  • Toothbrush & toothpaste
  • Razor & shaving cream
  • Cotton set
  • Wash towel

Practical

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

Safety

  • Smoke alarms
  • Fire extinguishers
  • Security alarm
  • CCTV outside the property
予約
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.