Kanamean Nishitomiya Ryokan

“A Special Experience to be cherished”

One of the most memorable, most excellent hotels I've ever stayed. The husband and wife owners, the Nishidas, are delightful! They made sure everything was perfect. It's a really different experience for an American to stay in a true Ryokan. I've stayed in a number of Relais and Chateau properties… more

One of the most memorable, most excellent hotels I've ever stayed. The husband and wife owners, the Nishidas, are delightful! They made sure everything was perfect. It's a really different experience for an American to stay in a true Ryokan. I've stayed in a number of Relais and Chateau properties around the world and most have been excellent. Kanamean Nishitomiya surpasses them all. It is a calm, serene place with unparalleled service. It is located in the perfect place, a block from Nishiki market, and close to excellent shopping and public transportation. My suite was perfect. I travel with washcloths because most international places do not have them. Kanamean Nishitomiya's staff saw my washcloths and left me some so I didn't have to use mine. It's the only place I stayed in Japan that had washcloths. That's just one small example of how they noticed my wants and needs and provided, unasked. The Nishitas really wanted to cook for me. The hotel's restaurant is Michelin rated and I am well known for having the palate of a 4 year old--an extremely unadventurous eater. But I figured if anyone could make weird Japanese food good it would be the Nishitas. They asked about my food preferences--no tomatoes (allergic) and not much fish (a tall order for Japan whose diets include a lot of fish). They prepared an 11 course dinner, starring the most delicious beef, just for me! It was not only delicious, every dish was a work of art. Three hours later I thought the Nishitas were magicians. The Soba with duck was especially memorable. That meal is one of my favorite memories of Japan. Kanamean Nishitomiya is more than an excellent hotel or restaurant. it's a special experience of which I will cherish the memories.

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“Amazing hotel an restaurants in Kyoto”

Kazuo and Kyoko are exceptional hosts, and their ryokan in Kyoto is truly amazing—intimate, authentic, and full of charm. We also dined at both of their restaurants, Kaname and Nishitomiya, and the food was outstanding. We highly recommend staying here when visiting Kyoto, and we will definitely be… more

Kazuo and Kyoko are exceptional hosts, and their ryokan in Kyoto is truly amazing—intimate, authentic, and full of charm. We also dined at both of their restaurants, Kaname and Nishitomiya, and the food was outstanding. We highly recommend staying here when visiting Kyoto, and we will definitely be back!

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“Relaxing and perfect stay in Kyoto”

We had a wonderful experience at Kanamean Nishitomiya. I really can't say enough about this place. The staff are very friendly and the service is excellent; the hotel is unique and warm; the room was beautiful and a really unique stay coming from the US; beds were very comfortable even having never… more

We had a wonderful experience at Kanamean Nishitomiya. I really can't say enough about this place. The staff are very friendly and the service is excellent; the hotel is unique and warm; the room was beautiful and a really unique stay coming from the US; beds were very comfortable even having never slept on a futon before. We absolutely loved the cedar bath--it was huge and could fit both of us easily--we used it every night. Breakfasts were delicious and something we looked forward to. We had dinner at the restaurant and had a great experience. They seated us in a private room all to ourselves. This was probably one of the best meals we've ever had--each dish was very tasty and unlike many tasting menus we've experienced, we didn't leave uncomfortably full. It was really well-balanced for us. Overall the stay was refreshing; we would love to and plan to go back.

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“A unique stay in the heart of Kyoto”

Kanamean feels like stepping back in time to another era. The inn has been beautifully renovated in a traditional style, accented by beautiful and oftentimes whimsical art. That said, we were underwhelmed by our stay ay Kanamean. Our check-in was rushed and cursory....not our typical ryokan check-… more

Kanamean feels like stepping back in time to another era. The inn has been beautifully renovated in a traditional style, accented by beautiful and oftentimes whimsical art. That said, we were underwhelmed by our stay ay Kanamean. Our check-in was rushed and cursory....not our typical ryokan check-in experience. We were left to figure out how to operate the thermostat and water heater, etc. on our own....when they could have easily set the instructions for the language of the guest, instead of leaving us search the internet for the instructions ourselves. The room was fine, but everything felt a bit worn. Seems like they haven't updated the furnishings in quite a few years, as well, giving the place a somewhat dated feel, (e.g. Bose Soundwave CD player wouldn't connect to our phone, and unfortunately the 4 or 5 supplied CD's weren't our cup of tea...although we had a nostalgic moment listening to the Carole King Tapestry CD from over 50 years ago). Staff often seemed rushed and overwhelmed, (maybe they were understaffed?), and nobody ever seemed to pay very much attention to us...again, not our typical experience staying anywhere in Japan, let alone a ryokan. Nonetheless, staying here was still a unique ryokan experience, in the heart of Kyoto, and a memorable one at that.

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