Nanzenji sando Kikusui
Refined, hushed, and garden-obsessed. Traditional Sukiya-style architecture updated with slate and wood finishes, western tables alongside tatami, and a culinary philosophy that lands somewhere between Japanese auberge and Kyoto ingredient worship. No lobby buzz, no crowds — just six rooms and a serious kitchen.
Even if you can't stay the night, the restaurant is open to non-guests for lunch (11:30am–2pm) — the best way to experience the garden view affordably
Why It Matters
Former kimono merchant's villa with a masterwork garden by the most celebrated landscape designer of the Meiji era. Only six rooms — limited to six reservations per day — with an Italian cuisine restaurant open to non-guests for lunch and dinner. Part of Tablet Hotels and listed on the Michelin Guide. The 2023 SPA SUITE addition brought a private mist sauna, barrel open-air bath, and tatami relaxation room supervised by Japanese wellness house ZAZENSO NAGARA.
Kikusui sits just off the stone-paved approach to Nanzenji Temple, down a narrow side street most tourists walk right past. It's a 60-year-old property that reopened in 2018 after a thoughtful renovation by architect Ryu Kosaka — now operating as what it calls a 'culinary ryokan': six rooms, all garden-facing, built around an Italian restaurant that takes Kyoto-region produce seriously. The garden is the real anchor: 2,710 square meters designed by Ogawa Jihei VII, one of Japan's great modern landscape architects, complete with a koi pond said to mirror the shape of Lake Biwa.
Where You'll Stay
6 room types available
102 SPA SUITE
Opened June 2023, this is the property's flagship and by far the largest room. Built around two distinct spaces: Yudoko (the bathing zone, with a large 'sleeping' bath, footbath, barrel-shaped open-air bath, and private mist sauna) and Nedoko (a spacious tatami-floored lounge for relaxing before and after bathing). All cosmetics, amenities, and spa items are curated by ZAZENSO NAGARA, a celebrated private wellness salon from Gifu. Garden views from the veranda include the Keage Incline as borrowed scenery. Can sleep up to 4 with additional futon bedding. Veuve Clicquot is stocked in the minibar.
Double (1400×2000mm) · 96.71 sqm
Room 101
Ground floor room with a small private terrace looking out onto the Japanese garden. A mix of traditional and Western furnishings with a bathtub lined in Towada stone bordered by Japanese cypress. Largest of the non-suite standard rooms. Can accommodate up to 3 guests with an extra bed.
Semi-double (1200×2050mm) · 61.2 sqm
Room 201
Second floor room with an outstanding view overlooking the Japanese garden. Spacious and privacy-focused, with a separate relaxation area apart from the main bedroom. Can accommodate up to 3 guests with an extra bed.
Semi-double (1200×2050mm) · 60.5 sqmRoom 202
Second floor Japanese-Western style room with a panoramic frontal view of the garden. Fully furnished for comfort with a blend of traditional tatami sensibility and western-style seating.
Semi-double (1200×2050mm) · 47 sqmRoom 203
Smallest of the five standard rooms, with a modern Japanese aesthetic and an excellent view of the garden. A good entry point to the property with all the same in-room amenities.
Semi-double (1200×2050mm) · 39 sqmRoom 204
Second floor Japanese-Western room accessed through a connecting corridor for an extra layer of privacy. Well furnished for comfort with garden views and the same amenity package as the other rooms.
Semi-double (1200×2050mm) · 47 sqmThe Property
Eat & Drink
1 venue on property
Restaurant
Spa & Wellness
Treatment Menu
On Property
How you'll actually spend your days.
Bicycles are available for guest use to explore the Nanzenji and Okazaki neighborhood.
Three separate garden annexes (Hanare) are designed as tea rooms with accompanying Roji (tea garden) and can be reserved as private dining rooms for special occasions or memorable events.
Kikusui's seasonal afternoon tea is a limited-time offering inspired by the garden. The 2026 spring edition — 'Strawberry Afternoon Tea ~Mountain Purple, Water Clear~' — ran daily from March 20 to April 12. Available to non-guests by reservation through the restaurant.
The 2,710 sqm garden designed by 7th-generation Ogawa Jihei — the pioneer of modern Japanese gardens — is the property's centerpiece. A pond-style strolling garden with a koi pond modeled on Lake Biwa. The garden changes dramatically through the seasons: weeping cherry blossoms in spring, irises in early summer, autumn maple foliage, and occasional snowy scenes in winter. It is maintained by Kikusui's exclusive gardener.
Guests in the SPA SUITE have access to traditional Japanese pastimes including Hanafuda (flower cards), Otedama (bean bags), and Origami (paper folding), provided as part of the room experience in the Nedoko relaxation area.
Amenities & Practical Info
The details that matter for planning.
Seasonal terrace with views of the 200-year-old red pine and the central koi pond garden.
On-site ballroom suitable for group events, weddings, and private gatherings.
Masterwork pond-strolling garden by Ogawa Jihei VII with koi pond, 200-year-old red pine tree, and a seasonal terrace with western design elements.
All rooms include complimentary beer, soft drinks, and mineral water. Welcome champagne prepared in all rooms. SPA SUITE includes Veuve Clicquot.
All rooms equipped with an espresso machine, plus Mitsumoto Coffee, Ronnefeldt tea, and Gion Tsujiri Japanese tea in the minibar.
5 uncovered parking spaces available at no charge. Cannot be reserved in advance.
No fitness center or gym on site.
No swimming pool on site.
BUILD YOUR NANZENJI SANDO KIKUSUI PLAN
Rooms, dining, spa, and resort experiences — organized into one trip plan.
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