Kyoto Prefecture · Japan
Hiiragiya Ryokan
Six generations of the same family, quietly perfecting the Kyoto inn since 1818
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Hiiragiya has been run by the Nishimura family since 1818, which makes it older than most of the city's western-style hotels by a century and a half. It sits on a quiet corner of central Kyoto within walking reach of the Imperial Palace grounds and the Kamo River, behind a lattice frontage that gives almost nothing away.
Inside, the appeal is not opulence but craft: hand-planed cedar, alcove scrolls changed with the season, hammered copper baths, and paper screens that filter the light differently through the day. Some rooms are original Meiji-era chambers, others sit in a later annexe with more contemporary lines; all are laid with tatami and futon, and most look onto a small enclosed garden.
Meals are the other reason people come. The kitchen serves a formal kaiseki dinner in your room, course by course, followed by a Japanese breakfast. Service is the old-fashioned kind, delivered by a nakai attendant who looks after your room for the length of the stay.
At a glance
What to expect
- In-room kaiseki dinner
- Japanese breakfast included
- Traditional cypress baths
- Tatami rooms with futon
- Private garden views
- Personal room attendant
- Central Kyoto location
- Yukata provided
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