Kyoto Garden Ryokan Yachiyo
南禅寺 八千代- Say it
- ya·
chee· yo - Also written
- Kyoto Nanzenji Garden Ryokan Yachiyo, Nanzenji Yachiyo, Ryokan Yachiyo, Yachiyo Ryokan
About Kyoto Garden Ryokan Yachiyo
A 16-room ryokan on the approach to Nanzen-ji, built around a pond garden by the landscape gardener Jihei Ogawa, known as Ueji. Each of the seven main-building rooms has its own cypress bath, most of them semi-open-air onto the garden; the baths are not hot-spring water.
- OnsenNoTwo traditional shared baths
- Bath in your roomGarden bath in 7 main-building roomsThe 9 annex rooms have a unit bath only
- Private bathYesShared baths, private in the evening
- TattoosAllowedShower well first
- MealsRoom-only to dinner and breakfastDinner must be booked ahead
- Dietary needsVegetarian, vegan, allergiesName foods to avoid when booking
- ChildrenWelcomeFutons and children's menus by age
- Check-in and dinnerCheck-in 15:00–22:00; out 11:00
- Getting there5 minutes' walk from Keage Station
Good to know before you book
- Annex rooms have only a unit bathThe 9 annex rooms have a small unit bath and no garden view; their guests get first call on private use of the two shared baths.
- Meals depend on the rateRates come in four types, from room-only to dinner and breakfast. Dinner must be booked ahead; breakfast can be added until 20:00 the day before.
- Shared baths are private in the eveningBoth shared baths are booked privately in the evening. They are open to all guests 15:00 to 17:00, 22:00 to midnight and 6:30 to 10:00.
- Rooms
- 16: 7 in the main building, 9 in the annex
- Garden
- Seiryu-tei, a pond garden by Jihei Ogawa (Ueji) that borrows the Higashiyama hills as its backdrop
Rooms and their baths
- Indoor view bath
Kiku, 10 and 6 mats with a 6-mat veranda and a garden terrace 菊
Semi-open-air cypress garden bath
Main building, ground floor. Bath and floor heating renewed in 2025
- Indoor view bath
Take, 8 and 8 mats with a 6-mat veranda and a garden terrace 竹
Semi-open-air cypress garden bath
Main building, ground floor
- Indoor view bath
Matsu, 10 and 6 mats with a 6-mat veranda and a garden terrace 松
Semi-open-air cypress garden bath
Main building, upper floor
- Indoor view bath
Tsurukame, a 10-mat room and a 10-mat Western bedroom, with a garden terrace 鶴亀
Semi-open-air cypress bath
Main building, upper floor. A kitchenette and a washing machine
- Indoor view bath
Ukifune, 8 mats with a 2-mat veranda and a garden terrace 浮舟
Semi-open-air round cypress garden bath
Main building, ground floor
- Indoor view bath
Horai, 8 mats with a daybed and a garden terrace 蓬莱
Semi-open-air cypress garden bath
Main building, upper floor
The fine print
Last checked November 12, 2026.
- Onsen
No. Not hot-spring water
Two traditional shared baths, Nanzen and Eikan, in koyamaki wood.
- Bath in your room
Some rooms. A garden bath in the 7 main-building rooms
Cypress, semi-open-air, facing the garden. The 9 annex rooms have a unit bath only and get first call on the private bath.
- Private bath
Yes. Both shared baths become private in the evening
Annex guests book first; main-building guests from 16:00 on the day. Open to all 15:00 to 17:00, 22:00 to midnight and 6:30 to 10:00.
- Tattoos
Allowed. Allowed; shower well first
- Meals
Included with some stays. Four rate types, room-only to dinner and breakfast
Dinner must be booked ahead, in the garden restaurant or in your room (¥3,300 extra per person). Breakfast ¥3,300, addable until 20:00 the day before.
- Dietary needs
Some diets. Vegetarian, vegan, allergies and religious needs, told ahead
Name the foods to avoid when booking: soy sauce, kelp and fish stock are everywhere. No halal-certified ingredients; some requests can't be met.
- Children
Welcome. Welcome, with futons, meals and children's menus by age
Tell the ryokan the number and ages when booking. Some dates have a free-room plan for children.
- Check-in and dinner
Check-in 15:00 to 22:00, check-out 11:00
The restaurant closes at 21:00.
- Getting there
5 minutes' walk from Keage Station
Tozai line, changing at Karasuma-Oike; about 20 minutes by taxi from Kyoto Station. Nanzen-ji is across the lane.
Meals
The ryokan began as a restaurant, and says every dish is hand-made without additives.
- Dinner
- Kyoto cuisine, sukiyaki or shabu-shabu with A5 wagyu, in the garden restaurant. Booked ahead; 17:00–21:00, last order 19:00–19:30
- Dinner in your room
- ¥3,300 extra per person
- Breakfast
- Nanzen-ji yudofu (simmered tofu) and a Japanese set, 7:30–9:00, last order 8:30
- Breakfast added later
- ¥3,300 per person, until 20:00 the day before, if there is space
Who it suits
- Suits
- Sightseeing on foot around Nanzen-ji and eastern Kyoto, families who need a large room, and garden lovers
- Less suited to
- Anyone who wants a hot spring
History
- 1915
The house stands as a villa at Nanzen-ji from this year.
- Before the ryokan
The main building, in plain sukiya style, is older than the ryokan. The business began as a restaurant.
- 2009–2017
The main-building rooms are rebuilt around all-cypress baths and garden terraces, from Kiku in 2009 to Ukifune and Horai in 2017.
- 2021
Yugiri is rebuilt as a two-level room with a steam sauna.
- 2026
Kyoto karakami paper doors go into the annex rooms, and Yugiri's sauna is renewed.
- Today
The okami, or proprietress, is Yuko Nakanishi.
Ryokan elsewhere to compare
Minakami
Takaragawa Onsen Osenkaku
Also serves dinner in a dining room and has rooms with their own bath, in Minakami instead of Kyoto, at about the same price.
Questions
Is there an onsen at Ryokan Yachiyo?
No. The ryokan says its baths are traditional Japanese baths, not a natural hot spring. There are two shared baths in koyamaki wood, Nanzen and Eikan.
Are meals included?
It depends on the rate: there are four types, from room-only to dinner and breakfast. Dinner must be booked ahead, and breakfast can be added until 20:00 the day before if there is space.
Which rooms have their own bath?
All 7 rooms in the main building have a cypress bath: semi-open-air in six, and indoors with a steam sauna in Yugiri. The 9 annex rooms have a small unit bath, and their guests book the shared baths privately first.
Who made the garden?
Jihei Ogawa, the landscape gardener known as Ueji. The pond garden is called Seiryu-tei, uses the Higashiyama hills as its backdrop, and is lit up every night.
Can the kitchen cook vegetarian or vegan meals?
Yes, when told ahead. Because soy sauce, kelp and fish stock are used widely, the ryokan asks you to name the foods to avoid when booking. It uses no halal-certified ingredients, and some requests can't be met.