I was early for check-in, but they let me drop my bags off. I headed to the Nishiki Market and wandered through the stalls, amazed and drooling over all the food and shopping opportunities. I found an open wireless network there and was able to hope on and check my email on my iphone. iphones had not come out in... more

Kyoto itself is a place very dear to the Japanese. It has retained its magical past. Its mysteries are not accessible to everyone to experience but if you let yourself get swept away like I did at this "Inn" then perhaps you too will get as close as you possibly can, for this is not an "Inn", its a time... more

After researching some websites and tripadvisor.com, I had specifically chosen this 110 year old (business started 7 generations ago in 1801 but the present location was from 1898) ryokan to be our very first traditional ryokan stay in Japan. In order to ease my husband's transition from a modern world to a traditional ryokan world, I had booked a Japanese... more

Stayed here in Nov 2007 with my husband and brother in law. We were on a mini-honeymoon and decided to splurge in Kyoto, and it was worth the money for sure. The owner and staff were attentive and friendly, in fact, I had expected one room for all three of us, but when he saw us he offered us two... more

Stayed here with my husband for one night, our last in Kyoto, as part of a three month trip around the world. It was a very expensive treat as we were on a budget, but we felt if we were going to experience a ryokan then we should do so in style. The weeks leading up to our stay there... more

We stayed at Kinmata on the last night of our week long stay in Kyoto, which also happened to be our first ever visit to Japan. Our stay at the ryokan was one of, if not the, highlight of the trip. Booking was done easily in advance direct by email with the ryokan and we agreed the cost of the... more

The food, kaiseki-style, is superb, both in the morning and in the evening, served, one dish after another, in your accomodation. But, talking about accomodation, this is a mix of Western and Japanese furniture, without any zen-like harmony and no view of the -small- garden. The owner could show a little bit more interest in his guest and their presence.... more

3 night stay on our honeymoon. Arrived in the cold and the wet and the prospect of not having en suite caused a few ruffled feathers with my wife. A ryokan doesn't have en suite for anyone and after we had taken our baths and she had warmed up - all was fine. The bath experience is brilliant (be careful... more

My fiancee and I stayed at the Kinmata Inn in Kyoto for two nights in June 2006. This place, an old fashioned Riyokan style Japanese hotel, is amazing. It is old school Japan, down to the wood paneling and sliding doors, and the beautiful Japanese garden courtyard. The only modern touch was our bathroom and the western style toilet, which... more