Kanamean Nishitomiya is a small ryokan in central Kyoto, on Tominokoji street in Nakagyo-ku, that has welcomed guests since 1873. Its name joins two meanings of kaname, the rivet of a folding fan and the key point, a nod to the fan-making history of the area. The house is built in the sukiya style that grew out of Kyoto's tea ceremony, and the MICHELIN inspectors describe it as a 19th-century townhouse, a rarity in the city. There are eight tatami rooms, each laid out and decorated differently, arranged around small sculpted gardens, and modern artworks and a library sit alongside the old architecture. Dinner is the heart of a stay: kaiseki that, in the house's words, honours the season, the vessel and the occasion. The official site says the restaurant has held a one-MICHELIN-star rating since 2013, and the house has been a member of Relais & Châteaux since 2015, the first in Kyoto. The house also runs Kaname, a six-seat counter serving contemporary Kyoto cooking. The MICHELIN Guide gives the ryokan Two Keys.
- Nearest airport
- Not given on the sources read; JR Kyoto Station is about 12 minutes by taxi
- Rooms
- Eight rooms
Insider tip Show the taxi driver the address in Japanese, Tominokoji-dori Rokkaku-sagaru, which the ryokan prints on its access page; it is about 12 minutes from Kyoto Station.
Why I choose it A family ryokan in central Kyoto since 1873, with eight sukiya rooms and a starred kaiseki dinner.