Vegetarian's Japan Guide

The Best Machiya Inns at Kurashiki Bikan Historical Quarter

Kurashiki Bikan Historical Quarter during the day is awesome, but nighttime is even better with the beautiful lights lining the walkways and historical buildings! So why not spend a night at this amazing destination in Japan? The atmosphere here at night is completely different from the vibe during the day, especially with lesser crowds!

However, as you can imagine, most accommodations in the area won’t be cheap. So if you are traveling with a small group of people, here are two choices for you to consider (=゚ω゚)ノ.

The two inns below only take one set of guests at a time, so not only will you have the whole traditional townhouse to yourself, but the accommodation is also COVID19 safe!

What differentiates the two inns from regular Airbnb accommodations is that you have access to the inns’ staff during your stay. It is like a hybrid of normal hotels and Airbnb (≧▽≦).

Kurashiki-Bikan-Quarter-Night-TIme
Ⓒ Okayama Tourism Federation

We recommend Yukikai if you are a small group of up to 4 people. If you are coming with little children, or are a group of up to 9 people, then Oitoma is your choice!

The Yukikai Inn

The Yukikai Inn is located at the center of the Bikan area. During your stay at the Yukikai Inn, you will be experiencing a day similar to the locals when you watch people walking along the streets from just your bedroom window!

Kurashiki bikan historical quarter yukikai inn
Ⓒ Temari Inn

Here at Yukikai Inn, you will be able to relax in this very rare traditional Japanese bathtub. Nowadays, it is uncommon to find one like this.

Kurashiki bikan historical quarter yukikai inn
Ⓒ Temari Inn

At Yukikai Inn, you will also be able to experience sleeping on Japanese futon beds! Before your arrival, the staff will make the beds for you, and if you have any questions regarding the futon beds, they will be more than happy to answer.

Kurashiki bikan historical quarter yukikai inn
Ⓒ Temari Inn

How to Get to Yukikai Inn

Finding the entrance to Yukikai Inn might be hard, so here are some directions.

Firstly, you will need to find the shop Bikandō (美観堂). Once you have found it, your bedroom is just above the shop on the second floor!

The friendly staff at Bikandō will kindly guide you to Yukikai Inn’s entrance, located in the small alley right next to Bikandō.

If Cafe Yuurin-An is also on your itinerary (which we highly recommend), you can also check with the staff at Bikandō to help you get there.

The Oitoma Inn

If you are traveling with young children or are a larger group of people, give the Oitoma Inn a try!

Since it is located at the side of the Bikan area, you can enjoy your time at Kurashiki with minimum disruption from other tourists. (^_-)-☆.

Toitoma Inn Kurashiki Bikan Area Accommodation
Ⓒ Temari Inn

Note that whilst they allow up to 9 people to stay here, there are only 4 single beds. The bedding for the remaining 5 people will be the traditional Japanese futon bed. Although it is not as soft as normal beds, we love it too! After all, it is a part of the cultural experience!

Kurashiki bikan historical quarter oitoma inn
Ⓒ Temari Inn

The Kid’s Area

Just opposite the single beds at the Oitoma Inn, there is a kid’s area! There are quite a few picture books that your kids can enjoy, and surprisingly, there are even books in English!

Tip: We know traveling with a lot of baby stuff can be hard. So if you let them know the size of the diaper you need (and even the brand – Japanese brand only), they will make sure enough is left in the inn for you to use. Also, it is FREE!!!

If you need help in any form of communication with the hotel, let us know by filling in the contact form HERE, and we will get back to you!

Kurashiki bikan historical quarter yukikai inn kids area
Ⓒ Temari Inn

Useful Information about Staying at the Two Inns

  • You can also go for the accommodation plan with dinner included (please enquire beforehand if you have special dietary requirements)
  • The check-in time is between 3 pm to 6 pm. Please advise your check-in time before your arrival. This is important so they can arrange for staff to be at the inn in time for your check-in.

Important: If you are running late, contact the inn in advance. It is never a good thing to keep people waiting, even if you are paying.

  • For Toitoma Inn, if you can send through your passport details, self-check-in is available (the gate passcode will be advised to you in advance). Note notification of your arrival through an email or phone call is still required.
  • Check-out time is at 10 am. It is possible to arrange a late check-out with an extra 2,000 yen, but not guaranteed. Please advise the inn when you make your reservation if you would like to have a late check-out. The inn will then inform you whether it is possible on the day of your visit, depending on whether there are other bookings on the following day.
  • Please take note of their cancelation policy. Depending on which platform you make your booking, cancelation charges differ.
  • The Toitoma Inn is located on the side of a road. Although it is not usually a busy road, you might find it not as peaceful as you like if you are extremely sensitive to noise.
  • Regarding pajamas, Yukikai Inn only offers adult-size pajamas to its guests. If you are staying at the Toitoma Inn, you will need to bring your own pajamas.
  • Even though pest control is completed twice a year, you still might see bugs in summer during your stay at Toitoma Inn. Since the Inn was a renovated historical townhouse located close to the mountain, there may be a few unwelcomed bugs sneaking into the house (this isn’t really due to the lack of regular cleaning and maintenance).

Tip: If you really like anything in your room and would like to bring it back home, talk to the staff, and you can most like be able to purchase it!

How to Reserve Your Stay at Toitoma Inn and Yukikai Inn

To reserve, please click HERE and translate the webpage using Google Chrome’s translation function at the right of the address bar!

Vegetarian-Friendly Dining at Kurashiki Bikan Quarter

Click HERE to find out about some vegetarian-friendly restaurants that you will be able to enjoy with your non-vegetarian friends and families!

Explore the Famous Kurashiki Bikan Historical Quarter

Kurashiki Bikan Historical Quarter is a historic area filled with traditional Japanese buildings, perfect for some photography sessions.

With a variety of shops, trendy cafes and galleries in the area, you can easily spend a whole day here without getting bored!

Find out more about this gorgeous part of Japan with our Kurashiki Bikan Historical Quarter article!

Kurashiki Bikan Area
Click the photo to find out more about Kurashiki Bikan Historical Quarter!

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