Suburban Hospitality: Immersive Homestyle Stays in Kyoto

Uji, a city just south of Kyoto, is famous for its tea. Having developed the rich tea culture in Japanese history, it is one of the must-visit places when you come to Kyoto. The heart of Kyoto’s tea production, however, lies further south over mountains in the delightful farming town of Wazuka. The mountain slopes are covered with vast blankets of tea plants stretching out in neat, long rows. The captivating scenery enthralls photographers, nature lovers, and tea aficionados alike.

Wazuka’s breathtaking scenery of distinctive tea plantations is attracting tourists from many countries, contributing to the small but growing tea tourism market. While accommodations options are limited here, Blodge Lodge has been welcoming guests into the hosts’ family home since 2016. Run by American Michael and his Japanese wife Ikuko, it is a cozy and comfortable guesthouse. Surrounded by tea fields, it offers a rare opportunity to stay overnight in the historically significant tea-producing region.

Blodge Lodge offers an exclusive experience, accommodating only one group of guests at a time. It’s a perfect place to relax and enjoy the tranquility and personalized service. The guest area consists of two cozy Japanese-style tatami (traditional flooring) rooms, bathed in the soft and warm sunlight, filtering through the shoji screens (traditional sliding door/partition). The backyard with a wooden deck provides an open space where you can enjoy the fresh air and view of tea fields. The private bathroom, shower room with a bathtub, and laundry space are clean with a fresh atmosphere. The whole house is charming with inviting decorations and a peaceful atmosphere. Blodge Lodge makes you feel like you’ve returned to your own home.

Hostess Ikuko works to ensure that this place offers much more than a standard guesthouse. She knows that one of the biggest reasons guests choose her lodging is to get to know about Wazuka deeply, including the local people’s life and culture. Guests can enjoy delicious meals and experience Japanese home life up close in the family dining room. Ikuko can advise them on activities to enjoy in the town, too. She explains Japanese culture to them effectively in fluent English, which makes the trip even more memorable.

A stay includes breakfast, and dinner is available as an additional option. You can also add the cooking class. With Ikuko as an instructor, you can learn how to cook a homestyle meal using tea. It includes a bowl of fluffy steamed rice and hot miso soup, just like a typical Japanese meal. It also includes a main dish and two side dishes. The ingredients change with the seasons, but the meal often includes Japanese standard dishes. For example, you may cook fish and vegetables with sesame seeds, miso (fermented bean paste), and so on.

If you have a special request, Ikuko is happy to arrange your meal uniquely. This includes wild boar and other countryside dishes that can’t be found so easily in cities. Vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-free options are available as well. The cooking class is 7,500 yen per adult and 3,750 yen per child, for 3 hours. No charge for children before elementary school.

Blodge Lodge also offers a tea tasting experience where you can savor single-origin teas from Wazuka, and learn what makes each cup special. Ikuko introduces five different seasonal teas including matcha and kabusecha, which are known as luxury teas. Many of the teas are organic, free from pesticides and chemical fertilizers, which is a growing farming trend in Wazuka. With their freshness, you might feel as if you were drinking the tea fields themselves.

Ikuko will explain the background of each tea, along with its unique flavor and texture. This will enrich your vocabulary and give you a deeper understanding of tea. Savor delicious teas while experiencing the atmosphere of a Japanese home. Enjoy a relaxing moment and conversations with Ikuko at her family dining table. This immersive tea tasting experience, for about an hour, is 3,300 yen per adult.

(Furthermore, if you’re interested in Japanese tea ceremonies, there’s another additional program where you can learn how to prepare and enjoy matcha green tea!)

Located right in the heart of Wazuka Town, Blodge lodge is the perfect base for exploring this beautiful area. Rental bicycles are available at tourist information spots in town, and Michael and Ikuko are pleased to help you by marking attractive sightseeing spots on your map. From historic temples to magnificent hiking trails, and of course plenty of tea-related activities, there is much to discover. Wazuka awaits, with Blodge Lodge as your perfect starting point.

The price of a one-night stay with breakfast depends on the number of guests. For example, for two adults, the total cost is 20,000 yen (tax included). The price for children is half the adult price. Children under 6 are free of charge. Booking information can be found here:

Travelers looking to remain closer to Kyoto itself but still seeking an engaging experience should consider staying in the city’s outskirts. The community of Nagaokakyo can be found just a short 15-minute train ride from JR Kyoto Station. Briefly the imperial capital in the 8th century, nowadays Nagaokayo is known for its bamboo-covered hills that supply the region with building materials and seasonal culinary ingredients.

The Kyoto Guest Inn Nagaokakyo is an ideal choice for an overnight stay in this suburb free of tourist crowds and congestion. More than a guesthouse and not quite a hotel, this inn highlights the closeness between host and guest that can make a stay all the more memorable.

The property is run by Sonoe Koizumi, a gentle spirit of a woman who welcomes you as though a family member. She and her husband—both fluent in English—had a long history of tourism and hotel work before opening their inn in 2016. Sonoe acts as the okami, a Japanese word used for the proprietress of a traditional hostelry or inn. While her establishment is modern, it maintains the feel of the inns of olden days through Sonoe’s commitment to hospitality and charm.

The four guest rooms at the inn are simple yet inviting. The overall design motif focuses on bamboo, one of Nagaokakyo’s most famous products. Each room uses a different species of bamboo wood to accent the light and airy interior spaces. The three upstairs rooms feature a sitting area with traditional tatami mats where guests can stretch out and relax. One single-use room is available on the first floor for solo travelers. A simple breakfast is included in all stays, with a choice between a traditional Japanese rice dish or a selection of fresh bread.

All rooms feature private bathrooms and showers, but a traditional bath is also available for guests to fully relax and enjoy a mini-onsen experience. The stone-lined tub uses charcoal to give the water additional detoxifying power, and it’s said to help the body retain heat for longer. Due to current COVID safety guidelines, this bath is available only by reservation for private use (500 yen).

The building that houses the inn is modern, but it incorporates some classic touches that give it a countryside feel. A cozy corner with comfy chairs gathered around a low wooden table housing an irori, a traditional charcoal hearth over which a kettle or pot is hung. When relaxing here and looking out the large windows at the garden landscape beyond, it doesn’t feel like the inn is at the center of a city suburb at all!

This downstairs lounge also serves as a dining area for the inn’s newly-opened Wagyu beef restaurant. Traditional Nagaokakyo favorites prepared using high quality Kyotamba beef are served for lunch and dinner. Advance reservations are required for dinner, so guests are encouraged to let the inn know at the time of booking if they would like to enjoy a meal.

Kyoto Guest Inn Nagaokakyo holds one more secret in its downstairs area. A hundred-year-old earthen-walled kura storehouse is incorporated into the modern building. These storage facilities are often found on old estates, and were designed to hold rice, artworks, and other valuables. There’s a real treasure inside this inn’s kura: a fully stocked bar.

After the beef restaurant closes at 8:00pm, Sonoe’s husband serves as bartender for the locals who visit for a drink and lively conversation. Guests interested in Japanese whisky and beer will find a variety of sought-after brands here, and can enjoy their drinks in an intimate private lounge upstairs. A homecooked dinner of Kyoto-beef followed by a tumbler of twelve-year Yamazaki whisky before retiring to your room is a wonderful alternative to a crowded restaurant and long night out.

Nagaokakyo holds some enticing secret sightseeing opportunities, making this inn a good base for exploring the area. Lesser-known spots like the peaceful nature of Nagaoka Tenmangu Shrine and Komyo-ji Temple with its fantastic autumn foliage are within reach on bicycles borrowed from the inn. A short train ride north brings visitors to the Take-no-michi Bamboo Path, a perfect alternative to the crowded Arashiyama bamboo forest.

Kyoto Guest Inn Nagaokakyo is the perfect choice for travelers looking for a uniquely Japanese spin on the bed and breakfast concept out of the city center. Sonoe and her welcoming sense of hospitality are sure to delight.

A one night stay in a single room with breakfast starts at 5,500 yen per adult on weekdays, 8,000 yen on holidays. Reservation info is available here: