Yoshikawa Inn, Kyoto (2026): Tempura, Rooms, Booking Rules

Guide·October 15, 2026·17 min read·Sourced & cross-checked

Yoshikawa Inn (Tempura Yoshikawa) is a seven-room ryokan on Tominokoji Street just south of Oike in central Kyoto, and also one of the city’s known tempura restaurants. Before you book, five things matter: stays and meals are booked on different sites; every room has its own cypress bath but there is no shared bath; two rooms are adults only; the tempura counter does not seat children aged 5 and under; and tax and a service charge are added to every price.

If futons and tatami are new to you, our ryokan guide explains them. For a large hotel nearby instead, see our Hotel The Mitsui Kyoto guide.

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Honto check: Every rule and figure below is from Yoshikawa Inn’s official English and Japanese website and the inn’s own notes on its TableCheck restaurant booking page, read on October 7, 2026. We have not stayed or eaten there. Where the English and Japanese pages differ, we say so. Deliberately not stated: the cancellation policy for stays, the latest check-in time, how you pay for a stay, parking, luggage storage, any curfew, and Kyoto’s accommodation tax. The official site does not publish them; they are on the booking site you are sent to, so read them there.
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Yoshikawa Inn at a glance

Entrance of a traditional wooden townhouse with a hanging lantern and lattice windows in Gion, Kyoto
A traditional wooden townhouse entrance in Gion, Kyoto, not Yoshikawa Inn. Photo: 663highland (CC BY 2.5)
ItemOfficial information
AddressTominokoji, Oike-sagaru, Nakagyo-ku, Kyoto
Rooms7 Japanese-style rooms, single-size futons
BathPrivate bath in every room (cypress, per the Japanese page); no shared bath listed
PriceFrom 40,000 yen per person; tax and service charge extra
Check-in / out15:00 / 11:00
DinnerKaiseki in your room, or the tempura counter
BreakfastJapanese only
Book a stayIKYU.com or phone; no form on the official site
Book a mealTableCheck or Tabelog
Nearest stationKyoto Shiyakusho-mae, 5 minutes on foot

From Yoshikawa Inn’s official site, read October 7, 2026.

Rooms at Yoshikawa Inn

Tatami guest room with a futon laid out, shoji windows and a low table
A tatami guest room with futon at Toshiharu Ryokan, another ryokan, not Yoshikawa Inn. Photo: Maarten Heerlien from Voorschoten, The Netherlands (CC BY 2.0)

Which rooms can you book?

The accommodation page lists seven rooms in the former merchant residence, each designed differently. (The inn’s About page says eight, which may count a dining-only room; the site does not explain.) All are Japanese-style with single-size futon bedding and a private bath and washroom.

RoomFloor and viewUp toSizeSeating
Hibari1F, courtyard3 adults14.58 + 8.2 + 8.2 m²Sunken kotatsu; main room, anteroom and tea room
Mejiro1F, courtyard2 adults18.25 m²Sunken kotatsu
Oshidori2F, courtyard2 adults18.25 m²Sunken kotatsu
Tancho2F, main garden4 adults14.58 + 13.69 m²Flat tatami or Western table and chairs
Tsubame2F, courtyard2 adults14.58 + 8.2 m²Western table and chairs
Sekirei1F, main garden2 adults1 room + balconySunken kotatsu; adults only
Kawasemi2F, main garden2 adultsNot listedSunken kotatsu; adults only

From the official accommodation page, read October 7, 2026.

A sunken kotatsu is a low table over a hollow in the floor, so you sit with your legs down rather than cross-legged. If kneeling or sitting on the floor is hard for you, Tancho and Tsubame are the rooms the inn lists with a Western-style table and chairs. The Japanese page adds that Sekirei, on the ground floor facing the main garden, is a room from which you can walk out into the garden.

What is the bath like?

The official site lists no large shared bath, no onsen and no open-air bath. Every room has its own bath; the English page calls it a private bath, and the Japanese page specifies a hinoki (Japanese cypress) indoor bath. Because there is no shared bath, the site also has no tattoo rule.

What is in the room?

The English page lists bath towels, towels, shampoo, conditioner, body wash, soap, a hair dryer, nightwear, a refrigerator and free Wi-Fi, and its pictures add a toothbrush, cotton pads, a hairbrush, a shower cap, a flashlight and a telephone. Where the English says “night wear”, the Japanese page says yukata. The site does not list a kettle or a safe.

Yoshikawa Inn prices, tax and service charge

What does a night cost?

The accommodation page gives one figure: from 40,000 yen per person, with check-in at 15:00 and checkout at 11:00. It notes that tax and a service charge (15%) are not included, and that a single guest pays a higher room rate. Rates on a given date are on the booking site. To estimate Kyoto’s per-night accommodation tax on top, use our accommodation tax calculator.

Are meals included?

The page describes dinner and breakfast as part of the stay and asks you to tell the inn if you do not want one of them; the Japanese version says to ask if you want breakfast only or dinner only. It does not state in so many words that the 40,000 yen includes both meals, so check the plan you book.

Can you book the whole inn?

Yes. The inn takes bookings for the whole building, which the Japanese page puts at up to 17 people. The English page gives 17 in one place and 20 in another, so confirm the number when you ask. A whole-inn booking is arranged with the inn directly.

Dinner and breakfast at Yoshikawa Inn

Several pieces of whole small fish tempura on a white plate
Tempura of Japanese smelt (wakasagi). This photo is not from Yoshikawa Inn. Photo: shrk (CC BY 2.0)

Where do guests eat?

Guests choose a kaiseki dinner in their room or a seat at the tempura counter. The English page calls the room dinner tempura kaiseki; the Japanese page calls it Kyoto kaiseki. Guests staying more than one night can also have shabu-shabu (thin beef in hot broth) in their room. Breakfast is Japanese style only. The site does not give meal times for guests.

What does the tempura restaurant cost for non-guests?

SeatLunchDinnerAdded on top
Private tatami room12:00–13:30 last order; 15,000 to 35,000 yen (15,000 from 4 people)17:30–19:30 last order; 20,000 to 45,000 yenTax and 15% service
Tempura counter11:00–13:30 last order; 6,000 yen17:30–20:00 last order; 10,000 or 15,000 yenDinner: tax and 5% service; lunch: tax only

From the official meal pages (English and Japanese), read October 7, 2026. The English page shows the private-room prices two ways in different places; these are the Japanese figures.

The counter was made from a former tea room, renovated during the 1964 Tokyo Olympics. The 10,000 yen counter dinner is not offered in high season. The English page says the restaurant is closed on Wednesdays, New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day. The Japanese page adds special courses with hamo (pike conger), crab, fugu or kue on request. For tempura in the capital, see our Tokyo tempura guide.

What happens if you are late for the counter?

The inn’s notes on its TableCheck page are strict: if you are more than 15 minutes late for the counter, the booking is canceled automatically and 100% is charged to your card. On the day, it does not accept cancellations by e-mail; you must call. For the private rooms, it may cancel if it cannot reach you 30 minutes after the booking time. It accepts cash or credit cards.

Children at Yoshikawa Inn

Can children stay?

Every room’s capacity is listed in adults, and Sekirei and Kawasemi are adults only. The Japanese page adds a line the English page leaves out: there are also plans for preschool children. Child rates, co-sleeping and extra beds are not published; see our guide to children’s rates in Japanese hotels for how other hotels handle it.

Can children eat at the tempura counter?

The English and Japanese pages differ. The English page says the restaurant does not take children under 5. The Japanese page and the inn’s TableCheck page say children aged 5 and under cannot use it, and TableCheck adds that children aged 6 and over order the same course as adults. Plan on age 6 and up.

The private tatami rooms offer children’s sets: a tendon (tempura rice bowl) course for about ages 9 to 11 at 8,000 yen, a tendon set for about ages 5 to 8 at 5,000 yen, and an udon set for about ages 2 to 4 at 3,000 yen, all before tax and service. The site does not say whether these apply to guests’ room dinners.

Diet, allergies and booking at Yoshikawa Inn

Can the inn handle vegetarian, vegan or gluten-free diets?

The meal page says vegan and gluten-free options are unavailable. A vegetarian option costs extra; the inn’s TableCheck notes put it at 5,000 yen per person in the private rooms and 2,000 yen at the counter, tax included. Tell the inn about allergies when you book; it says it cannot change dietary requests on the day, and that the cooking oil and dashi are shared by all guests, so it cannot take bookings for severe allergies. Its TableCheck notes say kosher and seafood-free meals are possible for the same extra fee as the vegetarian option. The official site does not mention halal.

How do you book a stay or a meal?

The contact page sends stays to IKYU.com and meals to TableCheck or Tabelog; there is no booking form for rooms on the inn’s own site. You can also call +81-75-221-5544. Because the cancellation policy for stays is not on the official site, read it on the booking page before you pay; our hotel cancellation guide explains the common terms in Japan. The inn’s TableCheck notes say the building has two smoking areas and that e-cigarettes can be used in the room. The official site has no news page and points to the inn’s Instagram account for the latest information, so check there or call before you travel.

What does the official site not tell you?

Quite a lot that guests at bigger hotels take for granted. The official pages do not publish an early check-in or late checkout option, child rates, extra beds or cribs, airport routes, a pickup service, parking, luggage storage, a door-lock time or a halal option. On pets, only the Japanese site mentions a dog salon next door that guests can use through the inn; it does not say whether dogs can stay. If any of these matter to you, ask the inn by phone or e-mail at info@kyoto-yoshikawa.co.jp before you book, and keep the answer in writing.

Getting to Yoshikawa Inn

A quiet street lined with wooden townhouses in Gion, Kyoto, at night
A street in Gion, Kyoto, at night, not Tominokoji Street where Yoshikawa Inn is.

The inn is on Tominokoji Street, south of Oike Street. The official access page gives three routes: 5 minutes on foot from Kyoto Shiyakusho-mae (Kyoto City Hall) Station on the Tozai subway line, about 15 minutes by taxi from Kyoto Station, and about 20 minutes by car from the Kyoto-Higashi or Kyoto-Minami interchanges of the Meishin Expressway. It does not describe routes from Kansai or Itami airports or a pickup service, and the English page lists the walk from the subway under its “Access by car” heading, so look there for it. Nishiki Market is in the same part of town; see our Nishiki Market food guide.

Where the Yoshikawa Inn English and Japanese pages differ

The inn publishes in both languages, but the two versions do not always match. Where they differ, we have used the Japanese page, which the inn’s TableCheck notes back up where they cover the same point.

PointEnglish pageJapanese page
Children at the counterNot under 5Not 5 and under
Plans for small childrenNot mentionedPlans for preschool children exist
Room bathPrivate bathHinoki (cypress) bath
Dinner in the roomTempura kaisekiKyoto kaiseki
Skipping a mealTell the inn if you do not need itAsk about breakfast-only or dinner-only stays
Counter lunch5% service charge note onlyConsumption tax only, no service charge
Special coursesNot mentionedHamo, crab, fugu, kue on request
Restaurant closing daysWednesdays, December 31, January 1Not found on the meal page
In-room equipmentAir cleaner, night wearAir conditioner, yukata

Compared on October 7, 2026.

Who is Yoshikawa Inn for?

A lit wooden building beside a garden path with stone lanterns at night
A wooden building and garden path at night in Awataguchi, Higashiyama Ward, Kyoto, not Yoshikawa Inn. Photo: Fumihiko Ueno (CC BY 3.0)

Travelers who want a small, quiet inn in central Kyoto where dinner is the main event, who are happy with a private bath instead of a shared one, and who can book the stay and the restaurant separately. It suits fewer families: two rooms are adults only and the counter is closed to children aged 5 and under. It also suits fewer vegans and anyone avoiding gluten, since the inn cannot cater for them. If you only want to taste the tempura, you do not need to stay: the counter lunch at 6,000 yen, with consumption tax but no service charge per the Japanese page, is the lowest price on the menu, and non-guests can book it on TableCheck.

Frequently asked questions

Is Yoshikawa Inn a ryokan or a restaurant?
Both. It calls itself a dining experience and hospitality inn: seven guest rooms in a former merchant house, and a tempura restaurant with private tatami rooms and a counter. Non-guests can book the restaurant.
How do I book a room at Yoshikawa Inn?
The official site has no booking form for stays. Its contact page sends stays to IKYU.com and meals to TableCheck or Tabelog, and you can also call +81-75-221-5544.
Does Yoshikawa Inn have an onsen or a shared bath?
The official site lists no shared bath, onsen or open-air bath. Every room has its own bath, which the Japanese page describes as a hinoki (Japanese cypress) bath.
Can children stay at Yoshikawa Inn?
Two rooms, Sekirei and Kawasemi, are for adults only. The Japanese page says there are also plans for preschool children; the English page does not mention them. Child rates are not published.
Can children eat at the tempura counter?
No child aged 5 or under. The Japanese page and the inn’s TableCheck page say children aged 5 and under cannot use it; the English page says under 5. Children’s meals are offered in the private tatami rooms, from about age 2.
Is the price at Yoshikawa Inn per room or per person?
Per person: from 40,000 yen, with tax and a service charge added on top. The inn says a single guest pays a higher room rate.
Can Yoshikawa Inn cater for vegans or gluten-free diets?
No. The inn says vegan and gluten-free options are unavailable. A vegetarian option costs extra, and its TableCheck notes say the cooking oil and dashi are shared by all guests.
How do I get to Yoshikawa Inn?
It is 5 minutes on foot from Kyoto Shiyakusho-mae Station on the Tozai subway line, or about 15 minutes by taxi from Kyoto Station.

Bottom line (2026): Yoshikawa Inn is a seven-room Kyoto ryokan and tempura restaurant. Rooms start at 40,000 yen per person plus tax and service, each has its own cypress bath, two are adults only, and the counter does not seat children aged 5 and under. Book stays on IKYU.com and meals on TableCheck.

Sources

Every fact on this page is from Yoshikawa Inn’s official pages: home, accommodation (Japanese), meals (Japanese), access and reservations, and the inn’s own notes on its TableCheck page. All were read on October 7, 2026. Prices and rules change; check the official site before you book.

Some links on this page may be affiliate links, which means we may earn a commission if you book or buy through them — at no extra cost to you. See our affiliate disclosure.

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Researched in Japanese, written in English. Every guide is sourced from official information and cross-checked before we publish.

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