SsinabroayaI was looking for a quiet guesthouse in Kyoto, and this one, a clean, 4-story building located in a residential area, fit the bill perfectly.
The laundry facilities, shower room, kitchen, and lounge on the second floor were great. I enjoyed cooking my own meals and listening to music there – it was a really comfortable experience.
From the 5th-floor rooftop, I could see Kiyomizu-dera Temple and Sanjusangendo Temple. Kyoto Tower was also visible in the distance.
Kamo River is nearby, so I went for runs in the mornings. Being a Class 1 water source, I saw many winter migratory birds and various other birds. I also saw many couples on dates and people taking photos.
With Shichijo subway station right next door, I could get to Shijo Station in the city center directly. It was also convenient for trips to Uji City and Osaka.
Attractions like Kiyomizu-dera Temple, Fushimi Inari-taisha, Kyoto National Museum, Sanjusangendo Temple, Yasaka Pagoda, Kyoto Women's University, and Kyoto University of Arts and Design are all close by. I often had lunch at the cafeteria of Kyoto University of Arts and Design before exploring in the afternoon. There's also a restaurant on the first floor where you can eat while looking out at the road towards Kamo River.
There's a Sapporo Ramen shop nearby – I recommend the slightly spicy one for 1350 yen.
There's also a CoCo Ichibanya Curry House. I tried the handmade tonkatsu with extra vegetables for 1380 yen – it was delicious!
Additionally, there's an unmanned store selling frozen gyoza and frozen dim sum. I highly recommend the frozen dim sum, all for 1,000 yen.
There's also a specialty liquor store that sells fresh sake from its refrigerated display. I recommend the sake wrapped in newspaper or plastic in the fridge. The production date is clearly marked on the label. It was truly excellent, a fantastic experience.
I think I stayed for about 25 days. Initially, I loved the single room because the morning sun streamed in every day. Since it was winter, it was cold to sleep without anything, so I brought an electric blanket and stayed warm. A free-voltage electric blanket is essential.
Later, an alumnus from my high school joined me, and we used the 4th-floor tatami room. The residential area viewed from the tatami room window was so peaceful and relaxing. Watching snow fall in Kyoto from there was a wonderful experience.
And most importantly, the owner! The owner greeted us with a smile every morning, and their smile is beautiful. They spoke a little Korean, so we communicated using Papago and hand gestures. Since I don't speak any Japanese, I used Papago frequently.
There's also Manita, the guesthouse's mascot, a charming young lady from Nepal on a working holiday in Japan. She smiles a lot and studies Japanese diligently.
During my stay at Winter Villa, I saw the beautiful owner and Manita multiple times every day. Our communication involved a few English words, a few Japanese phrases, and Papago did the rest.
If you want to walk along Kyoto's Kamo River and experience the city's tranquility, I highly recommend this place. I spent the winter here, and I can imagine how nice it would be to have a beer on the rooftop of Winter Villa in early summer, looking at the sky and stars.
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