Ojizo-ya – The House of the Goddess of Travelers
In a small, narrow, quiet alley, in the midst of a vibrant, fascinating, traditional neighborhood in Kyoto, loaded with history and small stories from the past and present is Ojizo-ya – a traditional, cozy Japanese house which has been renovated to provide luxury-level comfort to its guests, yet has been designed to retain the spirit, esthetics, and beauty of the traditional Japanese town house.
Outside the House
On the outside wall of Ojizo-ya is a shrine which is shared by three houses. This shrine is dedicated to the goddess Ojizo (hence the name of the house). Ojizo is the goddess of both children and travelers. So during your stay here at The House of Ojizo, you, the traveler, will be personally protected while you enjoy both the ambience of the house and the attractions of its location.
Local Culture
Ojizo-ya is within easy walking distance of some of Kyoto’s major sightseeing spots in the Higashiyama district in The Eastern Mountains, including Sanjusangendo Temple, the National Museum (3–5 minutes’ walk), the Kiyomizu area with its picturesque Ninen & Sanenzaka streets (15 minutes’ walk), Miyagawa-cho a Geisha area (15 minutes’ walk), and a bit further on there is Gion, another famous Geisha district.
Local Leisure
Ojizo-ya is also a few minutes away from the Kamo river (Kyoto’s main river which runs through the city) and a great local park, where you can do as the Kyoto-ites do – take an early morning jog, stroll along the river side, or relax on a park bench and watch the world go by. You can also take a 20–30 minutes’ enjoyable walk along the river right into the city center.
The Heart of the City
While it is easy to get to the city center by walking along the Kamo river or through local neighborhoods, Ojizo-ya also benefits from good transport links. It is a short 10 minutes’ bus drive from Kyoto station (the main rail station and gateway to the city) and only a 3–5 minutes’ walk to Keihan railway Shichijo station on the Keihan railway line. In 3–5 minutes you can also reach a bus station and access the many bus lines including the comfortable “Raku Bus” a special bus line which runs through the main sightseeing spots of Kyoto. After experiencing the heart of the city, travel back to the heart of the home and back into local life.
Local Amenities
Ojizo-ya is located in a really fascinating area which you can find out more about by looking at our “Behind the veil” tour, Please look at Windows to Japan website for more details. . The house is just a few minutes away from many local restaurants, coffee shops, a traditional sweet-making shop, a public bath with open air bath, and a local children’s playground, visits to which will provide you with a feeling of completeness as you experience the local life of Kyoto in a down to earth neighborhood before heading back to the heart of the house.
Inside the House
Ojizo-ya can accommodate one person or one group of up to six and has two floors of accommodation.
The first floor boasts a fully equipped kitchen, living room (convertible to a bedroom with traditional Japanese futons for up to 2), laundry space, en suite western-style toilet, shower & bath, and access to a Japanese garden which can be viewed from the living room.
Second floor accommodation (sleeps up to 4) has two separate bedrooms, one with a western-style double bed, the second with traditional Japanese futons, and a balcony.
In the house, you will find information on the local area including where to get your daily necessities (a supermarket, grocery stores, vegetable stores (including an organic veg store) and much more are nearby). There are also maps, information leaflets, and guidebooks to help you make the most of your stay in Kyoto, one of the most important cultural cities in Japan. But the hosts of Ojizo-ya can offer their guests so much more…
Ojizo-ya is a NON SMOKING property.
