A Meiji-Era Machiya in Higashiyama, Kyoto, with Interiors by Década
Roku House is a machiya in Higashiyama, Kyoto, one of four on a terraced row just past the vermilion torii that mark a quiet approach off Sanjo Street. Machiya were the townhouses of Kyoto’s merchants and craftspeople: narrow at the street (for the shopfront) and deep behind (where the family lived), a shape which earned them the nickname unagi no nedoko, the eel’s bed. The earliest record of Roku House dates to 1882, in the Meiji era, when Kyoto had just lost its place as capital and was building the Lake Biwa Canal, now a short walk away. Next door is the Aidzuchi Inari Daimyojin shrine, where, the story goes, the Heian-period swordsmith Sanjō Munechika forged the blade Kogitsunemaru with Inari’s help.
The machiya itself was renovated in 2026. Interiors are by Década, the AD100-listed Mexico City studio, who worked with Takuma Inoue of y gion (the creative hub in Gion). Downstairs, three small rooms were opened into one kitchen and living space, and the old tooriniwa, the passage that once ran the length of a machiya, now carries shelving. The earthen walls and wooden beams were left as they were, uneven and full of age.
Spend your days here on foot or bicycle, exploring the Okazaki museums and the Lake Biwa Canal. When you get back to the home in the evenings, set the sauna’s timer, put some music on, and in the colder months, let the floor heating in the kitchen and living area take the chill off. There’s even a piano.
Layout
Roku House is about 57 m² (613 sq ft) over two floors and sleeps up to four guests in two bedrooms. The ground floor is one open kitchen and living space, and there’s also a tatami room.
• Bedroom 1: Two single beds
• Bedroom 2: Two single beds
• Tatami room
• One bathroom
Good to know
Check-in is self-service with a lockbox. The front door has two locks, and both should be locked whenever you leave. Roku House is on two floors, and the attic is reached by a hanging ladder. Shoes and slippers stay off the tatami mats. Some appliance controls are labeled in Japanese, but a phone translation app helps, and instructional videos cover the main systems. Household waste is sorted according to Kyoto’s collection schedule and put out before 8 a.m. on collection days, and the house guide has the details. Guests are asked to water the plants twice a week. Each bicycle has its own key, and the pump is by the entrance.
Amenities & services
Floor heating in the kitchen and living area, sauna, air conditioning with a remote for each room, induction stovetop, dishwasher, blender, toaster, Bluetooth speaker, piano, tatami room, bicycles with a pump at the entrance.
Around
Roku House sits just south of Okazaki, where the KYOCERA Museum of Art, the Kyoto City Library, Okazaki Park and the Lake Biwa Canal are all within walking distance. The Grand Torii Gate of Heian Shrine is seven minutes away on foot, about 500 meters, which makes it an easy place to start a morning. Higashiyama Station on the Tozai line is a five-minute walk from Exit 1, and the Sanjo Hiromichi bus stop is one minute away, so the rest of Kyoto is reachable without a car.
Location
Higashiyama, Kyoto, Japan. Nearest airport: Kansai International (KIX, 100 km).
Best time to visit
Spring brings cherry blossoms to Okazaki, and fall brings the foliage. Winter suits the house itself, with floor heating underfoot and a sauna for after a cold walk.
