100-Year-Old Machiya House in Nara, 50 Minutes from Koyasan | 2 Bedrooms, 6 Beds

Two bedrooms: one with two queen beds in the same room, and one with two single beds. Six regular beds, two futon sets, and one bathroom. The house is a machiya—a traditional wooden merchant townhouse—that is 100 years old, single-story, and 124 m² (1,335 sq ft). Most guests drive: Asuka, Yoshino, the Kumano Kodo, and Koyasan are all within an hour’s drive from the front door. You can also reach us by train.

WHO THIS IS FOR

Most guests use Yoinn as a base—a place to return to between Koyasan, the Kumano Kodo, and Yoshino. Some end up going out less than they planned and don’t mind at all. Both of us work here. Groups of any size are welcome, as long as you’re not looking for a packed schedule of activities.

The house sleeps up to eight, but the sleeping arrangements consist of two rooms, not six. Groups of two to four find this the most convenient.

GETTING HERE

By car, it’s about an hour from Kansai International Airport via the motorway, then five minutes from the Gojo interchange. There’s space for two cars in front of the gate, so no one has to park on the street. We’ll meet you out front between 4:00 and 7:00 PM to hand you the key in person. If your flight arrives later than that—up to 10:00 PM—you can let yourself in using a code we’ll send you in advance.

By train from the airport, it’s one transfer and takes about two hours and twenty minutes: take the Kansai Airport Rapid to Tennoji, then a direct train to Gojo. If you leave the airport by 9:45 PM, you’ll still arrive the same day. From Gojo Station, it’s a 15-minute walk or a few minutes by taxi.

By car from the property: Asuka is 25 minutes away; Yoshino is 30 minutes away. The Kumano Kodo is 45 minutes away. Koyasan is 50 minutes away. Nara Park and Todai-ji: about an hour.

Gojo is located on the JR Wakayama Line, which runs to Hashimoto for Koyasan and to Yoshinoguchi for Yoshino and Asuka. By train, it’s 25 minutes to Asuka, about 50 minutes to Yoshino, and about an hour and a quarter to Koyasan. Trains run twice an hour during the day, and the last train back departs before 10:00 PM, so you can visit one place a day rather than three. The Kumano Kodo is the one that really requires a car.

Koyasan, the Kumano Kodo, and Yoshino are not three separate World Heritage sites but three parts of a single site: the Sacred Sites and Pilgrimage Routes in the Kii Mountain Range. Asuka, 25 minutes to the north, was added to the list in July 2026.

Licensed lodging. Registration No. 62403002.

WHAT'S IN THE HOUSE

A living room with a low sofa and a single-plank table, polished concrete floor, and heavy beams overhead. Two queen beds in the main bedroom, two single beds in the second. Real beds, not futons on the floor. There’s no TV in the house, and the street is quiet after dark. There is a record player.

A fully equipped kitchen: an induction cooktop and a portable gas burner, a microwave, a rice cooker, cookware, tableware, and cutlery for eight, as well as oil, soya sauce, salt, and pepper. We provide coffee that we roast ourselves, as well as tea and water, free of charge.

One bathroom—a standard Japanese unit bath—and a Washlet toilet. Air conditioning. Wi-Fi. A hair dryer. Towels, toothbrushes, and toiletries. We do not provide sleepwear, so please bring your own. From October through March, a wood-burning stove heats the main room, and we provide the wood for it.

There is no washing machine in the house; a coin-operated laundromat is a five-minute walk away. Kongo-no-yu, a hot spring with an open-air bath, is a five- to ten-minute walk away. It’s open until 11:00 PM and costs about 800-900 yen for an adult; it’s closed on the first Tuesday of the month. With only one bathroom in the house, most guests end up walking over there.

THE COURTYARD

A gravel courtyard behind the house, walled on all sides, open to the sky. One corner is covered, so the fire and grill can be used even in the rain. The fire pit, grill, a low table, and chairs are provided here. Please bring your own charcoal, firewood, and food. No fireworks.

THE STREET

Shimmachi-dori was laid out in 1608 as a merchants’ quarter. By 1623, it had about 95 houses; today, there are about 110, and people still live in them. The entire street is designated as a Preservation District for Groups of Traditional Buildings.

A short walk along the street takes you past the Kuriyama House, built in 1607 and the oldest private house in Japan with a confirmed construction date—a family still lives there, so it can only be viewed from the outside. Yamanao, an udon and soba restaurant open since 1882. GOJO GIROCCO, a bar housed in a converted sake brewery. The Yoshino River is also within walking distance.

ARRIVAL AND DEPARTURE

Check-in is from 4:00 to 7:00 PM, in person at the door. If you arrive later—up to 10:00 PM—you can let yourself in using a code we’ll send you in advance; please send us the registration form and a photo of your passport afterwards. Check-out is by 10:00 AM. While you’re here, no one else will be in the house.