Kyoto - Maana Homes & Atelier
When I first visited Japan a decade ago, Kyoto felt like a puzzle I couldn’t quite piece together. My first visit was in a snug hotel near the train station, with days dictated by guidebooks and hurried checklists. Kyoto seemed distant, as though it was quietly waiting for me to understand it truly.
This time around, I allowed myself to slow down and with that, discovered a different side—away from the well-visited busy streets. After the electric chaos of Tokyo, Kyoto revealed itself as a city of quiet introspection. Nestled among the mountains, its slow pace and spiritual depth felt like a balm for the soul. Compact enough to feel familiar, yet brimming with hidden corners, Kyoto is a place of endless discovery.
Where Kyoto’s timeless spirit meets crafted calm—a place to pause, connect, and rediscover simplicity.
Our stay at Maana Homes gave us the perfect blend of tradition and modernity. With beautifully restored machiya guesthouses spread across the city, Maana Homes embraces slow living and thoughtful design.
The Kiyomizu location consists of just three intimate suites designed by local architects Shigenori Uoya and Takeshi Ikei. The interiors celebrate Japanese craftsmanship, where every element - from minimalist layouts to the craftsmanship of the restored Tsuchikabe earthen walls and handmade furniture fosters a connection to Kyoto's history and traditions. The Kiyomizu location also hosts a café, Kishin Kissa, and a retail store, POJ Studio, where you can pick up many of the ceramics & fabrics used for the interiors of the suites.
Kiyomizu is a neighborhood that holds Kyoto’s essence—quiet, spiritual, and full of corners to discover. While the iconic Kiyomizu-dera Temple offers panoramic views and is a beacon for tourists coming to visit Kyoto, it’s the quieter corners of the area that hold genuine charm.
The tatami room, lovingly referred to as the "ninja room" by my children, was a constant source of joy. I can still hear the sound of their laughter as they played, their feet padding across the soft mats as I relaxed my legs in the bath after a long day of walking around the city.
Pure bliss.
For those seeking a different way to immerse themselves in Japanese culture, Maana Atelier offers a gateway into Japan’s ancestral traditions through immersive excursions and hands-on workshops. In 2024, the team opened a new location in the northern part of Kyoto, providing classes that explore the techniques and art of indigo dyeing, tea ceremony, and other local practices as well as offer retreats.
Through their classes, they’re not only preserving traditions but also reinterpreting them for modern life, ensuring this heritage lives on with future generations.
In November, I was invited to participate in a fermentation class together with 3 other participants, where we were taught about and made shijo koji and sugar-preserved yuzu. It was a great opportunity to learn about Japan’s intricate micro seasons and the importance of seasonal produce in an intimate setting with our host Momoko from Kyoto Research Institute.
The ingredients were all locally sourced - even the Yuzu were generously shared from an old woman’s tree from her land in the outskirts of Kyoto.
Kyoto, once a frustrating mystery, now feels like a second home away from home to me—a city where everytime I visit, I peel back a new layer to learn more about.
Collaboration disclaimer // I only promote products, stays, and services that I use and trust - I was invited by the Maana team to experience the spaces & experience but the words and opinions shared in this post are my own.
