Vegan Minshuku Sanbiki Neko

Practical Details

2 kilometres east of Kyoto Station (taxi recommended – about ¥1,000).
15 minutes’ walk (1.3 kilometres) northeast of Tōfukuji Station on the JR Nara Line, with connections to Kyoto Station.
15 minutes’ walk from Shichijo Station on the (private) Keihan Main Line, with access to Osaka and many of the vegan restaurants in northern Kyoto. 

Directions

90 Imagumano Minamihiyoshicho, Higashiyama-ku Kyoto-shi 605-0953
90, 今熊野南日吉町 東山区 京都市 京都府 〒605-0953

Rooms usually cost around ¥9,000 per person per night.

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070-4419-4548 (Staff speak English)

Completely vegan B&B; new (but traditional) Japanese house.
Two kilometres from Kyoto Station.

Update this accommodation listing.

 

Introduction

Sanbiki Neko is run by an Australian vegan couple, Helen and Craig, who moved to Japan two years ago to establish what is (as far as I know) Japan’s only vegan accommodation apart from Buddhist temples. Sanbiki literally means ‘three cats’, and it’s named after the three rescued cats they brought with them from Australia (though one has unfortunately passed away since arriving).


While they modestly identify their accommodation as a minshuku (a traditional – usually budget – Japanese guesthouse, also known as a pension) it’s actually more like a ryokan (the more upmarket equivalent – see Minshukus and Ryokans) as all rooms feature private bathrooms. Guests sleep on futons (thin Japanese mattresses) on tatami (traditional Japanese floor mats, made from rice fibres) and the décor is also very Japanese in its elegance and simplicity. All guest rooms include a bathroom equipped with vegan toiletries.




 Helen and Craig had this B&B designed and built on what was a carpark only two years ago, so it’s like staying in a modern Japanese home. While the rooms are fully self-contained, guests are also welcome to use the shared lounge and dining area, where complementary tea, coffee and hot water are available.

Sanbiki Kitchen

Apart from at Koyasan, where many temples are comfortable with foreign guests, most international visitors to Japan never stay in any traditional accommodation because of the high cost, the language and cultural barriers, and because (apart from those few temples) it’s usually so difficult to arrange for vegan meals. But staying at Sanbiki Neko solves all these problems at once: everything is vegan (right down to the bedding and amenities), and of course Helen and Craig speak English and can offer advice about what to see and where to eat in Kyoto. But it’s still very Japanese, and Craig even cooks a hearty Japanese-style vegan breakfast for guests in the morning.

It's not everyday you have an authentic Japanese breakfast cooked for you by an Australian.

Location

Sanbiki Neko is located two kilometres directly east of Kyoto Station. Despite being only one kilometre south of Kiyomizu Dera (one of the most famous temples in Kyoto) and two kilometres north of Fushimi Inari Taisha (the city’s most famous Shinto Shrine) Sanbiki Neko is in a quiet residential neighbourhood which is famous for traditional pottery. This makes it a little inconvenient to reach (see above), but you might really appreciate being away from the tourist zone after experiencing a day or two of Higashiyama crowds.

Sanbiki Neko is located near the Kyoto Circuit Trail (京都一周), a seventy-kilometre hiking path through the mountains which surround Kyoto on its northern, eastern and western borders. To the south from Sanbiki the path leads up Mount Fushimi (famous for Fushimi Inari Taisha). The path near Sanbiki Neko passes by several beautiful temples and shrines which are not famous with foreign tourists, but this area is a very pleasant one to explore, especially early in the morning. Please ask Helen or Craig about this if you are interested in the trail or nearby temples.

Price

Prices per night start at ¥9,500 per person. While this is more expensive than business hotels, it’s excellent value for a private room in traditional, boutique accommodation in Kyoto which includes breakfast. If you will stay at only one upmarket place in Japan, I suggest that it be here. For another night, I recommend staying at a temple at Koyasan.


This page is a sample from my Vegan Travel Guide to Japan.