Mitsuki Kyoto (ryokan)

One of our favorite parts of our entire vacation in Japan was staying in a traditional Japanese inn (known as a ryokan). But getting reservations in a ryokan—even half a year in advance—was difficult. The ones mentioned in guidebooks were all booked or unresponsive. So I had to do some heavy duty searching to find an available room in a genuine ryokan.

In retrospect, I'm glad that my first and second choices for ryokans were unavailable because the one I ultimately booked a room in was fantastic. It was an authentic ryokan in a centuries-old building. But it was available at a fraction of the price of others and we were delighted with every aspect of it.

It was named Mitsuki Kyoto. I found it had universally enthusiastic reviews from guests on Google. And those enthusiastic reviews were fully deserved.

It has wonderfully-preserved centuries-old, charming structure, including low ceilings. (Tall people like myself need to watch their heads in doorways.) 😉

The proprietor, Yoko-san, was the consummate hostess and concierge. She was friendly, courteous, attentive, eager to please and help, and spoke and wrote good English in addition to fluent Japanese. She clearly took pride in pampering guests and tending to our every concern and question. She provided excellent, clear travel and dining advice via email and in person. And her recommendations were great.

Mitsuki Kyoto has just two guest rooms, so it's peaceful and quiet. It's located on a quiet back street but within short walking distance from the Kyoto Imperial Palace. I booked our ground floor room via booking.com and selected what booking.com referred to as the "Japanese-Style Standard Room" or what is referred to as the "Tsuki" room on Mitsuki Kyoto's website.

If you book a room at Mitsuki Kyoto via booking.com using this link, I get a small commission, though you pay the same price you would otherwise.

The ground-level guest room we stayed in (the less expensive one) had a sliding door that opened to a cute courtyard Japanese style garden.

I believe Yoko-san gave us a choice of Japanese or Western style breakfasts. I'm glad we chose the Japanese style. They were beautiful, fresh, and delicious, with nothing too strange.

As is customary in ryokans, during the day the table and floor cushions/chairs were placed in our bedroom. And in the evening Yoko-san would move those aside and place the futons on the floor for sleeping. They were quite comfortable and we slept quite well. Since Kyoto can be hot and humid during much of the year, the heater/air conditioner in the bedroom wall kept the bedroom comfortable. Bear in mind that in ryokans shoes must be left in the ryokan's entryway. Slippers are worn indoors. The tatami mats (straw flooring) in bedrooms are delicate, so be gentle.

Yoko-san surprised us by leaving thoughtful treats in our room while we were out.

Though most of Mitsuki Kyoto retained the centuries-old walls, ceilings, and other structures, Yoko-san had tastefully remodeled the bathroom to modern standards. The shower's water flow was so strong that I felt like Kramer on Seinfeld getting blasted out of his tub with his his new black market shower head. In fact, Yoko-san was unfamiliar with Seinfeld, so I showed her that clip and she said it was hilarious. I told her it was the best shower I had ever had.

If you'd like to see my rather amateurish video tour from the entrance of Mitsuki Kyoto into our guest room, here you go: