Nanzenji Sando Kikusui is a small inn on the approach to Nanzen-ji in Kyoto’s Higashiyama area. It began as the villa of a kimono merchant, built around 1895, and has been an inn since 1955. Kikusui calls itself a ryori ryokan, an inn built around its food: “neither a restaurant nor a ryokan.” Before you book, three things matter: there are no shared baths and no onsen; dinner is Italian, with last entry at 20:00; and parking is five spaces with no reservations.
Nanzenji Sando Kikusui at a glance
| Item | Official information |
|---|---|
| Address | 31 Nanzenji Fukuchi-cho, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8435 |
| Phone | 075-771-4101 (from abroad +81 75-771-4101) |
| Check-in / out | 15:00 / 12:00 |
| Baths | Private bathroom in each room; spa area only in the SPA SUITE; no shared bath, no onsen |
| Dinner | Italian, 17:30 to 20:00 (last entry), 1st-floor dining room |
| Breakfast | For staying guests, 1st-floor dining room |
| Nearest station | Keage (Tozai subway line) |
| Parking | 5 spaces, no reservations |
| Extra charge | Kyoto accommodation tax, per person per night |
From the official site, read October 20, 2026.
The house and garden at Nanzenji Sando Kikusui
What is the history of the inn?
The house was built around 1895 as the villa of Teramura Sukeemon, a former kimono merchant. Its garden, on a site of about 830 tsubo, is a pond-stroll garden by Ogawa Jihei VII, the garden maker known as Ueji. In 1955 the house became the inn of cuisine Kikusui. The garden has a pond shaped like Lake Biwa, a weeping cherry said to be a sibling of the famous tree in Maruyama Park, a tea room, and a stone lantern linked to Toyotomi Hideyoshi.
What are the rooms like?
The rooms were renewed under the theme “Refurbish”: polishing the old house rather than rebuilding it. The official room page lists these rooms:
| Room | Size, floor | Official description |
|---|---|---|
| 102 SPA SUITE | 96.71 m², 1F | Opened June 2023; spa area and tatami sleeping room |
| 101 | 61.2 m², 1F | Garden view with a small terrace |
| 201 | 60.5 m², 2F | Separate bedroom and living space |
| 202 | 47.0 m², 2F | Japanese-Western room facing a red pine, full garden view |
| 203 | 39.0 m², 2F | Modern Japanese |
| 204 | 47.0 m², 2F | Japanese-Western room past a connecting corridor |
From the official Japanese room page, read October 20, 2026.
Regular rooms have semi-double beds (1,200 by 2,050 mm), and rooms 101 and 201 take a third guest with an extra bed. Each room has a TV, Wi-Fi, a refrigerator, a minibar, a safe, a hair dryer, a kettle and an espresso machine, and there is welcome champagne. The official pages do not give a maximum number of guests for the other rooms.
The baths at Nanzenji Sando Kikusui
Is there an onsen or a shared bath?
No. Kikusui has no shared baths and is not an onsen inn; the official pages describe neither a shared bath for guests nor a hot spring. You bathe in your own room. If a hot-spring soak matters to you, plan it somewhere else on your trip.
What bath does each room have?
The regular rooms have a spacious bathroom with a tub of Towada stone framed in hinoki cypress, and a toilet with a bidet seat. The SPA SUITE is the only room with its own spa area, called “Yudokoro”: a large bath, a bath to lie in, a foot bath, a semi-open-air bath and a mist sauna. It has a double bed (1,400 by 2,000 mm) and sleeps up to four with added futons.
Can I bathe with a tattoo?
The official pages do not mention tattoos. Since there is no shared bath and every bath is in your own room, the question rarely comes up, but ask the inn if you have any concern.
Meals at Nanzenji Sando Kikusui
What are dinner and breakfast like?
Dinner is Italian, using seasonal produce from around Kyoto, served in the 1st-floor dining room from 17:30, with last entry at 20:00. Plans with dinner are sold separately from breakfast-only plans. Breakfast is for staying guests only, in the same dining room; the official pages give two different serving times, so confirm the time with the inn. Nanzen-ji is also known for simmered tofu; see our yudofu in Kyoto guide for a lunch nearby.
Can the inn handle allergies or a special diet?
Plan ahead. Kikusui’s allergy policy says it cannot serve dishes with specific allergens completely removed, and that it may have to decline to serve food to guests who carry an EpiPen or take medication daily for an allergy. The restaurant reservation form says dietary requests cannot be made on the day; it offers vegetarian and vegan options when you book. For dinner as a staying guest, the official pages do not describe special diets, so write to the inn before you book.
Prices, children, cancellation and payment at Nanzenji Sando Kikusui
How much does a stay cost, and what is the tax?
The official pages give no fixed price: rates are per person with breakfast for two sharing, and change by season. Check the plan on the booking page. On top, Kyoto charges an accommodation tax per person per night, based on the room-only rate (meals and consumption tax excluded). The inn has posted the new rates that apply from March 1, 2026:
| Room-only rate per person per night | Tax |
|---|---|
| Under 6,000 yen | 200 yen |
| 6,000 to under 20,000 yen | 400 yen |
| 20,000 to under 50,000 yen | 1,000 yen |
| 50,000 to under 100,000 yen | 4,000 yen |
| 100,000 yen and over | 10,000 yen |
From the City of Kyoto, read October 20, 2026.
What do children cost, and how do cancellation and payment work?
The official pages we read do not state child rates, the cancellation policy for stays or the payment methods; these appear on the booking page when you choose a plan. Read them there before you confirm. Our hotel cancellation guide explains how fees in Japan are laid out.
Getting to Nanzenji Sando Kikusui in Kyoto
How do I get there from Kyoto Station?
The nearest station is Keage on the Kyoto Municipal Subway Tozai Line. The official access page gives about 19 minutes from Kyoto Station by subway; it does not give one figure for the walk from Keage, so check a map. By taxi, the page gives about 20 minutes and about 2,000 yen from the Hachijo exit of Kyoto Station.
Can I come by car?
From the Kyoto-Higashi interchange of the Meishin Expressway, it is about 6 km and 15 minutes via Sanjo-dori. Parking is five spaces only, and the inn does not take parking reservations. The official pages do not mention a shuttle.
What foreign guests should know before staying at Nanzenji Sando Kikusui
- There is no onsen and no shared bath; if you want the large spa bath, book the SPA SUITE.
- Dinner is Italian, not kaiseki; last entry is 20:00, so arrive in time.
- Checkout is late, at 12:00, which leaves a morning for the Nanzen-ji area.
- Budget for the Kyoto accommodation tax, charged per person per night.
- The English site differs from the Japanese site in places; if a detail matters, ask the inn by phone or by its contact form.
Planning the rest of the city? See our guide to how many days to spend in Kyoto.
Frequently asked questions
Does Nanzenji Sando Kikusui have an onsen or a shared bath?
What time is check-in at Nanzenji Sando Kikusui?
What is dinner like at Nanzenji Sando Kikusui?
What is the cancellation policy at Nanzenji Sando Kikusui?
Can I park at Nanzenji Sando Kikusui?
Bottom line (2026): Nanzenji Sando Kikusui is an inn of cuisine in a former merchant’s villa with a garden by Ogawa Jihei VII, steps from Nanzen-ji. Expect private bathrooms rather than an onsen, an Italian dinner with last entry at 20:00, and a 12:00 checkout. Read the plan’s rules on the official booking page before you book.
Sources
Every fact on this page is from Nanzenji Sando Kikusui’s official pages: home (English), home (Japanese), rooms (English), rooms (Japanese), SPA SUITE, philosophy, access, allergy policy and accommodation tax notice, plus the City of Kyoto accommodation tax page and the official English booking page. All were read on October 20, 2026. Prices and rules change; check the official site before you book.
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