Introduction: Food and the Machiya Experience

The Evolution of the City
Architecture and Characteristics of Machiya Construction
The Beauty of Wood

Restaurant Listings (approx 135) with description of food and setting, hours, prices, contact info

Index by Category

Ebook updated for 2020! Kyoto Machiya Restaurant Guide. Over 100 all new must-visit restaurants + revisions throughout. (Print edition is unchanged.)

Machiya, or townhouses, are traditional wooden dwellings in Kyoto that evoke the elegance and culture of Japan's old capital with their architectural details, beautiful gardens, and intimate rooms. Many have been converted into restaurants to create unforgettable dining experiences. Enjoying healthy food in a historic, traditional Kyoto environment is a rare pleasure. Here are some 130 restaurant listings (food, decor, hours, addresses, prices, maps, and index) and a photographic guide to machiya architecture, culture, and aesthetics.

Judith Clancy has lived in Japan since 1970 and is the author of Exploring Kyoto.

Ben Simmons is a Japan-based photographer.

Judith Clancy has lived in Kyoto since 1970. She has written about the many traditions of Kyoto, including music, tea ceremony, and ikebana, and has acted as guide and interpreter for various groups and workshops. She is author of Exploring Kyoto: On Foot in the Ancient Capital.

Ben Simmons grew up in Columbus, Georgia, and completed a Masters program in Fine Arts at the University of Florida. Simmons is a longtime resident of Japan, and a correspondent for SIPA Press, a leading agency headquartered in Paris. His photographs appear worldwide in numerous books and magazines, and have been exhibited at the Victoria and Albert Museum, the National Museum of Taiwan, and the United Nations. His work is in the collections of the Library of Congress and the King of Thailand.