Goemon Kyoto Japan

A whole traditional house to yourselves in a small Keihoku village

This hands-on lodging is a traditional house rented whole, in a small village of about 8 houses in Shimokumada-cho, Keihoku, Ukyo-ku, Kyoto. It is run by the Tanakas, a local couple. Look out from the living room and rice paddies and mountains spread out beyond the road, and the nearby stream is a well-known spot for fireflies. The old-fashioned layout has a 12-tatami Japanese-style tatami room with an engawa veranda, and because only one group stays at a time, families and groups can take their time without worrying about other guests.

A wood-fired goemon bath and a life with fire

The defining feature of this place is the goemon bath (a wood-fired iron bathtub), heated with firewood. You can take part from the very beginning: lighting the fire, splitting the wood and heating the bath yourselves. A wood-heated bath warms you to the core - a special kind of time you cannot have in town. Beyond that, you can enjoy rural life with fire in full, from grilling over the irori (sunken hearth) to cooking rice on the kamado (a traditional wood-fired cooking stove, also called okudosan). Staff explain how to use the kamado, so it is easy even if it is your first time.

Harvesting vegetables in the field, watching fireflies and other time outdoors

There is a field nearby, where you can harvest seasonal vegetables free of charge and try your hand at farm work; depending on the season and the weather, there may be no vegetables. The newly harvested rice picked in September, cooked on the kamado, is exceptional. In mid-June fireflies dance over the stream, and if you are lucky you may watch them alongside deer. Rental bicycles are available too, and a leisurely ride through the peaceful farmland is well worth it.

Kitchen and meals

The mini kitchen has a gas stove, a microwave, a toaster, a rice cooker, cooking utensils and tableware, so you can bring ingredients and cook for yourselves. Meals cost extra: there is an experience grilling Keihoku venison, beef, chicken and seasonal vegetables over the irori, and there are also plans with kamado-cooked rice, grilled dishes and breakfast. No meals for children under school age are prepared, but extra rice and miso soup can be made ready, and you are welcome to bring your own ingredients.

Access and essentials

It is about 5 minutes by car from the Shuzan Bus Terminal, with a shuttle available. By car, it is about 40 minutes north from central Kyoto on National Route 162. Check-in is from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. and checkout is at 11 a.m. Parking is free for 2 cars, by reservation. Bookings are accepted from 2 adults. Children under school age co-sleep free of charge. In winter, from November to around mid-April, a heating charge of 3,000 yen per group applies.