Kikokuso

"Serene, elegant and charming, Delicious, copious and gorgeous, Warm, accommodating and delightful
Convenient and quiet, comfortable, traditional yet modern. Communal hot bath - relaxing and clean.
Thank you for an extraordinary experience. The Kikokuso Ryokan in Kyoto is fantastic and the charming, serene atmosphere, the delicious food, and the delightful hosts were the highlight of my trip to Japan."
(Anonymous)

"This comes quite late, but I just wanted to drop a note of thanks for arranging the reservation at Kikokuso on 23rd Aug. I had a lovely time in Kyoto, not least because of the warm and very personal hospitality I was shown by the owners. The room was very comfortable, and the food really good. I just wish I had more days and time to spend there! " (JMS, Singapore)

"Kikokuso was the highlight of our trip to Japan, and they served us the best food we had in in Japan. The staff was incredibly friendly and gracious. The service of Japanese Guest Houses was excellent. Thank you very much." (Anonymous)

"The dinner at Kikokuso was just amazing, one of the best I had in Japan. I'm very grateful that a service like Japanese Guest Houses does exist. It was most likely the only possibility that I could sample this wonderful Japanese experience. I was on a business trip to Japan and decided on short notice to stay in a traditional ryokan. Thanks a lot again." (Anonymous)

"Staying at Kikokuso was a fantastic experience. I cannot say enough positive things about the staff. They were extremely helpful in explaining the local cuisine, customs, and sites in the Kyoto area. The fantastic local tofu cuisine was the highlight for us. It was also walking distance to JR Kyoto train station which is a perfect hub to catch buses and trains to the major sites. Overall, absolutely excellent service and food and worth the price. We enjoyed it tremendously." (MF, California, USA)

"We thoroughly enjoyed our stay at Kikokuso. It is a very unique experience for tourists who haven't yet experienced the traditional Japanese style of hospitality. We reserved the family bath which was a nice experience also. The staff were very friendly and spoke quite good English. Thank you very much." (Anonymous)

"Kikokuso is a wonderful, traditional ryokan. The food was exquisitely presented and delicious, and the staff was extremely friendly and charming. Our room was very cosy and comfortable, with atmosphere. I cannot recommend Kikokuso highly enough!" (Anonymous)

"The Kikokuso owners were extremely hospitable, charming and attentive. Kikokuso is very pretty and the room full of charm and the food was the best I tasted in Japan and exquisitely presented. I would give Kikokuso a five star rating and have already recommended it to colleagues and friends. The staff at Japanese Guest Houses were extremely helpful and the information you provided on access to the ryokans perfect." (Anonymous)

"Staying at Kikokuso was a wonderful experience, and the staff was absolutely lovely! The visit to Kikokuso was one of the highlights on our visit to Japan. I would very much like you to give that message to the staff!" (MS, Sweden)

"The staff was truly authentic and welcoming. If (when) we revisit, we would definitely stay again. We especially enjoyed the hot bath in the evening. The meals were lovely and interesting, and we were so pleased that we chose one night to have the special dinner. A real experience! Breakfasts were fulfilling. Kikokuso was extremely convenient for starting a day's walk across the river to the temples. It was close to the main station and subway links - couldn't have asked for more. Although our room wsa basic and little clothes hanging space, the room was spacious, comfortable (best sleep ever!!) and very natural. Thank you for helping us select our accommodation and guiding us through our stay. An excellent web site and an excellent service." (Anonymous)

"Kikokuso is a wonderful, traditional ryokan. Our meals were exquisitely presented and delicious, and the staff was very friendly and charming. Our room was very cosy and comfortable, with atmosphere - I cannot recommend Kikokuso highly enough!" (Anonymous)

"Kikokuso was wonderful - the staff was very friendly and helpful. If you like Japanese food, you will love the food at Kikokuso." (Anonymous)

"Our room at Kikokuso was cosy, warm, comfortable. The meals were some of the best we had in Japan; very tasty. The staff was very kind and hospitable, and Kikokuso was located close to JR Kyoto train station." (Anonymous)

"Kikokuso was an excellent ryokan. We'd stay at Kikokuso again! The ryokan style of food is much different than typical Japanese food you might have at a restaurant in the US. It's an acquired taste so people should be prepared to potentially have a few things they won't like. That said though, Kikokuso's food servings were beautiful and fresh. The staff was extremely accommodating and kind. Our room overlooked the garden - we loved it!" (Anonymous)

"My Mother Pam and I had the most wonderful time at Kikokuso, where we stayed for 2 lovely nights in June 2005. Our upstairs room was gorgeous, very authentic and comfortable and overlooking the beautiful and peaceful gardens below. We found the location to be very handy, the hospitality excellent, and our hosts really went out of their way to be most helpful, giving us fantastic advice on the sights and shopping in Kyoto, and helping us with every request. The highlight of our stay was undoubtedly the food- it was INCREDIBLE!!! So wonderfully presented, so delicious, and so fresh! We thoroughly recommend a 2-night stay at Kikokuso, with dinners and breakfasts provided, for a relaxing and fascinating Kyoto ryokan experience." (LM&PM, Sydney, Australia)

"We can recommend Kikokusu to everyone who wants to try a ryokan on his holiday in Japan. The owners are incredibly nice, we just felt like we were part of the family. Mr. Yoshimura, the owner, even gave us a lift in his own car to the JR Kyoto train station! The food was lovely, one of the best we had in Japan. And the ryokan itself was very beautiful. Thank you for everything!" (Anonymous)

"We weren't sure what to expect when staying in a traditional Japanese ryokan but found the whole experience thoroughly delightful. The owners were extremely welcoming and patient and our only concern was that we may have appeared ignorant due to our unfamiliarity with Japanese customs. The meals we ate at Kikokuso were amazing and we felt we had experienced something really Japanese which we will never forget." (Anonymous)

"Kikokuso was cozy and quiet - there was a small fire going our entire stay, and their dog "Gonta" was usually curled up next to it! We have never had meals quite like the "kaiseki" dinners at Kikokuso - truly a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Each course looked like a work of art, and usually tasted as good as it looked! Kikokuso has been in the same family for nearly seven generations, and the owners went out of their way to make us feel at home. Kikokuso is very close to JR Kyoto train station, yet tucked away on a quiet side street. Japanese Guest Houses was amazing - absolutely one of the best travel services I have ever used. I will highly recommend them to anyone I know travelling to Japan." (Anonymous)

"Kikokuso has beautiful decor and it felt like stepping back in time. I loved the presentation of the meals, and the tastes & textures of the food were wonderful!! "Grandma" and "Grandpa" were so sweet. They were very helpful and accommodating. Kikokuso is walking distance from a few temples and close to bus stops. It was quite cold when we went, although the space heaters provided warmed it up quite a bit. The bedding provided was extremely comfortable, and even my husband didn't mind sleeping on the floor there! The mineral bath that "Grandma" provided for us was very soothing, but too hot for any of the people I was traveling with. We were only able to enjoy the bath for about 10 minutes before we started getting quite dizzy. Overall I would say that this ryokan is well worth the steep per-night cost. The breakfasts and dinners provided were wonderful and varied, and the owners were so helpful and nice. "Grandpa" even gave us a lift back to the train station when our stay was over!" (Anonymous)

"Our stay in Kikokuso was definately the best we had in Japan. The owners and staff were wonderful. My husband and I were traveling with our son, who was then 10 months old. They were very helpful with his needs as well. We were able to book a family bath, so our family could use the bath alone. That was fantastic. Alexander, our son, loved the food as well as we did. They were fully booked for the last night we wanted, but assisted us by driving our luggage to our next ryokan." (Anonymous)

"Incredible experience! Would definitely stay at Kikokuso again! Warm and friendly staff made us feel at home. They drove us to the train station early in the morning! Very helpful. Made Kyoto an experience we will never forget!" (Anonymous)

"We were more than satisfied and have recommended this site and location to others who are travelling in the fall of 07. The service was terrific and the guest house was a find. Our trip to Japan was one of the best holidays we have ever had and your help assisted us in having a great time. Thanks." (Anonymous)

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