A ryokan is a traditional Japanese inn where guests can experience every aspect of Japanese culture, from clothing, cuisine, lifestyle, and hospitality, all in a single stay. Attentive service is provided by kimono-donning staff members called nakai, who serve meals and handle various details during your stay. Guest rooms are Japanese-style with tatami flooring and low furnishings like zabuton cushions and floor chairs.

Meals generally feature traditional Japanese course meals known as “kaiseki ryori,” beautifully presented and prepared with seasonal ingredients and regional specialties. Many ryokans also offer large communal baths where guests can experience Japanese bathing culture, along with elegant Japanese gardens that enhance the atmosphere.

While ryokans can be found all over Japan, Kyoto is especially known for inns that blend traditional charm with modern comforts. As a city that flourished as the capital for over a thousand years, Kyoto is home to many ryokans that preserve the beauty of historic Japanese architecture and offer refined Kyo ryori, Kyoto’s unique culinary tradition.

Amongst Kyoto’s many inns, Yuzuya Ryokan stands out for its exceptionally refined experience, having been featured in the Michelin Guide for 14 consecutive years (including earning three pavilions for six of those years consecutively). Of particular note is their outstanding cuisine, exclusive to this inn.

Run by a culinary establishment, Yuzuya Ryokan offers a full immersion in traditional Kyoto gourmet. Also note that guests under 13 are not permitted, making it a retreat-like getaway for adults to enjoy fine food and an authentic Japanese atmosphere in peace and quiet.

Yuzuya Ryokan is located right next to the vermilion Nishiroumon Gate of Yasaka Shrine, one of Kyoto’s most iconic shrines with a history of over 1,300 years. As a symbol of the Gion district, it is affectionately known as Gion-san.

The shrine is also the main venue for the Gion Festival, one of Japan’s three major festivals. The highlight of this festival is the Yamaboko Float Procession, which has been designated a UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage.

The easiest way to Yuzuya Ryokan from Kyoto Station is by bus or train. It's also about 20 minutes by car. See below for detailed travel information.

Yuzuya Ryokan feels like a secluded hideaway nestled in the hills, with a stone staircase leading to the entrance lit by alley lanterns created by Zen monks during the Muromachi period. These lanterns have long been used in Kyoto to light the paths of its many narrow alleyways.

Yuzuya Ryokan is a Japanese-style residence built over 100 years ago. Slide open the wooden-framed door, and you’ll step into a warm, inviting space filled with traditional Japanese beauty and charm.

In traditional Japanese homes, guests typically remove their shoes at the entrance. However, at Yuzuya Ryokan, you can keep your shoes on throughout the inn, the only exception being the Japanese-style rooms on the first floor.

Near the entrance, you’ll find a kamado, a hearth used for cooking in Japanese homes since ancient times, now regarded as a guardian of the household. In the Kyoto dialect, it’s affectionately called “okudo-san”.

The kamado at Yuzuya Ryokan was actually in use until just a few decades ago. Although it’s no longer used for cooking, it still releases a gentle steam every day, warmly welcoming guests as they arrive.

And let's not forget the yuzu! Near the front desk, fresh yuzu citrus is arranged in a basket, filling the air with a light, refreshing fragrance. It’s a uniquely charming touch of hospitality that perfectly reflects the inn’s name and spirit.

Yuzu is a citrus fruit known for its refreshing, invigorating aroma. With a cultivation history dating back over 1,000 years, it’s one of Japan’s most traditional citrus fruits, and is believed to have originated in Kyoto. Frequently used as a seasoning, Japan boasts the world’s highest production and consumption of yuzu. Long considered auspicious, yuzu is also believed to ward off evil, invite good fortune, and symbolize the rewards of long years of hard work.

Yuzuya Ryokan takes its name from this very fruit, founded on the idea of making yuzu, an ingredient usually in a supporting role, the star of the show.

At Yuzuya Ryokan’s in-house restaurant, Isshinkyo, guests can fully savor its signature yuzu cuisine. As the heart of this chef-run inn, Isshinkyo offers a refined dining experience, with windows overlooking the spacious Japanese garden, and the relaxing sounds of a waterfall, creating the perfect setting to forget the bustle of the city and focus fully on the meal in front of you.

Seating options include table and chair seating, as well as traditional low tables known as zataku. The zataku are horigotatsu-style, which means there is a recessed space beneath the table for your legs, allowing guests who aren’t accustomed to sitting on the floor to dine comfortably. For overnight guests, all meals (breakfast, lunch, and dinner) are served here.

One must-try dish is Yuzuya Ryokan's signature Yuzu Zosui (yuzu rice porridge). While the course menu changes depending on whether it’s breakfast, lunch, or dinner, Yuzu Zosui is always available as one of the dishes, no matter the time of day.

At the center of the dish sits a whole yuzu, peeled and sliced in a spiral pattern. The dish is brought to the table in a pot, and prepared right at your table. If you order the zosui with a Tai Yuzu Nabe, the delicious nabe broth is used to prepare it afterward. If ordered on its own, the zosui is prepared with slices of tender tai, or sea bream, already included. In both cases, a staff member prepares the dish at your table, stirring in beaten egg and squeezing fresh yuzu juice directly into the pot.

The result is a piping hot zosui with the refreshing aroma of yuzu, a truly special dish you’ll only find at Yuzuya Ryokan.

For lunch, try the Yuzu Zosui Set (5,500 yen), which includes the signature yuzu porridge along with seasonal obanzai dishes. Obanzai is the Kyoto term for everyday home-style side dishes, typically of simmered and grilled seasonal vegetables, along with other familiar ingredients.

Isshinkyo's lunch includes a platter of 15 obanzai dishes, featuring ingredients, menu items, and themes that change with the seasons. Because of this variation in the menu, be aware that you likely won't find the same dishes again should you visit again next year.

(*Photos reflect menu as of late January 2025.)

In addition to the Yuzu Zosui Set, the lunch menu also offers nabe dishes. One of the most popular options, available year-round, is the Tai Yuzu Nabe Set (7,700 yen), which pairs the yuzu zosui with a sea bream shabu nabe.

Shabu Nabe (or shabu-shabu) is a style of Japanese hot pot where thin slices of meat or fish are briefly swished in a simmering broth at the table, then dipped in sauce before eating. Isshinkyo's Tai Shabu Nabe uses a savory broth made from lightly roasted and fried sea bream, which are dipped in the broth and enjoyed with vegetables simmered in the same pot.

Note that sea bream is delicate and can become tough if overcooked. However, staff may be available to assist right at your table to ensure it’s perfectly cooked! (*Staff preparation limited to the first round at lunch; for dinner, they handle the cooking throughout the meal.)

Dinner is a seasonal kaiseki course, consisting of seven to nine dishes including appetizers, soup, sashimi, grilled foods, nabe, rice, and dessert (starts at 14,520 yen).

Kaiseki cuisine is a traditional Japanese multi-course meal said to have originated during the Azuchi-Momoyama Period (1568–1600). Originally a simple dish, it evolved into a refined dining style for entertaining guests after it was incorporated into the tea ceremony by Sen no Rikyu, one of Japan’s most influential tea masters who developed tea ceremony culture.

At Isshinkyo, the kaiseki menu is designed to highlight the seasonal ingredients, with a variety of fresh Kyoto produce that changes monthly. Signature seasonal dishes often include hamo (conger eel) in summer, fresh Ohara bamboo shoots in spring, and ayu (sweetfish) from Arashiyama River in autumn.

One of the defining features Isshinkyo dining is the immersive experience that engages all your senses. Beyond flavor and presentation, there's the sizzling of the cooked dishes, the aroma of freshly prepared food, the gentle steam rising from the hot pots, and the variety of textures, making every meal as sensory as it is delicious.

Please note that as every visit offers a different culinary experience, the menu at your time of visit may differ from these photos.

Breakfast at Isshinkyo is a traditional Japanese set meal of rice, soup, and an assortment of small side dishes. The menu uses plenty of local Kyoto vegetables and seasonal ingredients, making it both filling while being good for the body.

Like lunch and dinner, the breakfast menu also changes with the seasons, and if you're staying for multiple nights, you can even enjoy a different menu every morning. Guests can also include yuzu zosui as part of their breakfast, a warm, nourishing dish that's especially comforting when recovering from the long day before.

Yuzuya Ryokan has only eight guest rooms, all Japanese-style with private baths and toilets. Each room has a unique layout and accommodates one to three guests (some rooms may vary). Most furnishings date back to the same era as the 100-year-old building itself, creating a cozy, nostalgic atmosphere that reflects the passage of time.

Each bathroom includes yuzu, so guests can enjoy a relaxing yuzu bath in the comfort of their own room. The provided yuzu soap is a handmade, original product of Yuzuya, and is also available for purchase at the front desk. The blankets and towels are also original goods featuring the Yuzuya Ryokan logo. You'll also find comfy in-room yukata to wear during your stay.

There's also a Japanese-style writing set in the room, complete with vertical letter paper and matching envelopes adorned with the Yuzuya logo. Why not write a note during your stay for an original souvenir?

You can enjoy a relaxing yuzu bath all year round. (Green yuzu is used in summer, while yellow yuzu is used in winter).

A yuzu bath is a traditional Japanese bath, customary on the winter solstice, in which yuzu is floated in the water, which is believed to ward off evil spirits and help prevent colds as an auspicious ritual for good health. Yuzu is rich in vitamin C, making it a natural health booster.

While you can enjoy a yuzu bath in your own room, taking one in the spacious public bath offers a special experience. English instructions on Japanese bathing etiquette are available in the changing room.

(Baths are for hotel guests only. Tattoos are welcome.)

At the heart of Yuzuya Ryokan is an open courtyard, visible from both the first and second floors. At its center stands a Japanese maple tree, with vibrant green leaves in summer and brilliant red foliage in autumn The courtyard also has a stone-paved path leading to the staircase that connects to the second-floor guest rooms. While there is an indoor staircase, taking this scenic route adds a a little extra atmosphere to the experience.

The lobby is decorated with seasonal ornaments from Kyoto’s traditional festivals. At the front desk, guests can purchase a variety of original items like Yuzuya’s signature yuzu soap (800 yen), homemade yuzu pepper (1,000 yen), and ponzu sauce (1,500 yen).

The most popular item is the yuzu soap, only available at Yuzuya Ryokan and not sold online, making it the perfect souvenir for those looking to take home a little piece of their stay.

Yuzuya Ryokan is more than just a place to stay. It’s a place for a truly special dining experience, complete with a variety of exquisite, house-prepared dishes, served to you in a traditional Japanese setting that’s sure to leave a lasting impression.

The ryokan is located right next to Yasaka Shrine, with the streets of Gion practically on its doorstep and Maruyama Park just a short walk away. These areas are not only popular sightseeing spots, but also famous for their spring sakura and fall foliage. But remember, these areas seasons tend to draw large crowds during those seasons, so booking early is highly recommended.

So plan a trip, and enjoy a truly special stay at Yuzuya Ryokan!

(Information in article as of February 2025. Please see official website for the latest updates and information.)