On restaurant-lined Kiyamachi Street, through a wooden gate and down a stone-paved alley, a charming house with light pouring from the mushiko window and lattice entryway welcomes guests. This house with panorama windows looking over the Kamo River lets guests appreciate nature in the middle of Kyoto. Bird watch for herons, ducks, hawks, and kites. In spring, view cherry blossoms along Kiyamachi Street from the upstairs mushiko window and weeping cherries on the opposite bank of the Kamo River. In autumn, the Higashiyama mountains blaze in color. In summer, the water of the river cools the outdoor terrace, and in early August, the fires of Daimonji Mountain at the Bon festival are easily viewed. Izumiya-cho has been fully remodeled, seamlessly combining traditional and contemporary Japanese interior design with all modern conveniences. In approaching the house, open the lattice front door and a courtyard garden appears in the entryway. Open the door to the rest of the house and at the far end, through a large picture window, guests can see the Kamo River. Next to the entryway on the first floor, large doors open to reveal a kitchenette outfitted with a refrigerator, microwave, hot water pot, and a large sink. Take a cup of coffee or green tea from there into the living room to sit in one of the leather armchairs or into the tatami-matted room overlooking the river. Go out onto the deck built directly over the river to enjoy a cool breeze in the summer or to view the moon above the Higashiyama mountains. Also on the first floor, guests will find a traditional wooden bath, in which they can soak away the exhaustion of travel, and a modern Western toilet. Ascend the stairs from the living room to the second floor, and enter a high-ceiling tatami room that has low wooden armchairs facing windows that look over the river and to the Higashiyama Mountains in the distance. At the front of the house is a bedroom with a mushiko window that throws patterned sunlight into the room during the day. On the second floor, guests will also find a smaller bedroom, a Western toilet, and a shower. Izumiya-cho is centrally located south of Shijo Avenue, between the Kamo River and Kawaramachi Avenue on Kiyamachi Street. It is close to the Hankyu and Keihan train lines. From Izumiya-cho it is a short walk to the main Kyoto shopping district around the Shijo Kawaramachi intersection. Izumiya-cho has been remodeled and is maintained by Iori Company, many of whose staff speak English fluently. Iori staff will help you check in and out and will clean the house for you during your absences. Iori also offers concierge services. Feel free to ask us about recommendations and arrangements for sightseeing, dining, shopping, and entertainment.