Maana Homes is a boutique hospitality company based in Kyoto with a mission to create projects that foster meaningful connections between Japanese culture and global visitors. Since its founding in 2017, Maana Homes has reimagined traditional Japanese machiya—wooden townhouses once home to Kyoto’s merchants and craftspeople—by giving them renewed purpose for contemporary life. Because Kyoto was largely spared wartime bombing, many well-preserved machiya still stand today.
Maana Homes currently operates three properties in Kyoto: Maana Kyoto, Maana Kamo, and the newest, Maana Kiyomizu, which opened fully in late 2022.
© Maana Homes
“Our vision for the machiya project is to bring the essence of ancient Kyoto into the modern world through an intimate journey of food, crafts and stays,” said Hana Tsukamoto, co-founder and COO of Maana Homes.
Maana Kiyomizu occupies a row of machiya houses in central Kyoto and includes three guest suites, a retail shop and a café. The project was conceived through a collaboration between Maana Homes, POJ Studio—a Japanese home goods shop—and a creative concept inspired by the Kishin mythology.
The Maana brand aims to craft intimate, sensory experiences that reconnect guests with Japan’s traditional arts and everyday wisdom. Maana’s leadership believes that fragments of traditional Japanese life contain insights that remain relevant, and that thoughtfully designed, multisensory encounters can open minds and hearts.
“We wanted to bring creative and vibrant energy into the neighborhood with a fresh approach to machiya,” said Irene Chang, co-founder of Maana Homes. “Our hope is to inspire new perspectives on how these houses can be adapted for modern life.”
© Maana Homes
From the street, Maana Kiyomizu blends into a typical Kyoto scene of low-rise machiya. Inside, the atmosphere shifts to a contemporary, minimalist aesthetic. Renovated by Kyoto architects Shigenori Uoya and Takeshi Ikei, the interiors favor smooth textures, soft curves and a light-toned palette that refreshes the machiya experience while preserving its character.
The suites are designed to be light-filled and calm, bringing a sense of quiet that complements the surrounding greenery. Architects focused on introducing natural light and ventilation into spaces that traditionally feel narrow and dim. Maana properties are known for their thoughtful bathrooms; at Kiyomizu, artisans from Shiga crafted the ceramic bathtub by hand, and the pendant above it was created by Gaku Nakane. Guests can enjoy tea in cups thrown by fourth-generation clay artisans, and those cups are available for purchase next door at POJ Studio, where visitors can also attend classes to learn pottery techniques.
Suite 1 contains a queen-sized bed and an oversized built-in tub with views of greenery and the thatched roofs around Toyokuni Shrine. The suite includes an enclosed walk-in shower and separate toilet behind an open vanity, plus a mini-fridge and artisan tea set. It accommodates up to two guests.
© Maana Homes
Suite 2 features a queen-sized bed plus a tatami room that can accommodate two additional guests. Its bathroom includes a handmade shigaraki tub, an enclosed shower and a vanity overlooking a private garden. This suite also offers a dining area, a coffee and tea station, and a cozy nook with large cushioned benches for lounging. Suite 2 accommodates up to four guests.
Suite 3, spread over two floors, provides an open modern living room on the first floor, an oversized dining counter suitable for work, and bedrooms on the second floor. Walls and ceilings are finished with artisan Japanese washi paper by Hatano Wataru, creating a warm, tactile environment. The bathroom includes a handmade shigaraki tub, shower and vanity with garden views. Suite 3 accommodates up to four guests.
The on-site Café/Bar Kissa Kishin is a contemporary interpretation of the traditional kissaten, serving coffee, matcha, breakfast and lunch made with seasonal, farm-fresh ingredients. Kissa Kishin acts as a welcoming social hub for Maana Kiyomizu’s guests and neighbors.
Directly adjacent to the property, the retail shop stocks the Japanese crafts and furnishings used throughout the suites, as well as additional household items. Guests can purchase these goods and the shop arranges worldwide shipping for buyers.
Maana Kiyomizu is located in Kyoto’s Higashiyama Ward, a seven-minute walk from the Kyoto National Museum, ten minutes from the 12th-century Sanjusangendo temple, and about 15 minutes from Kiyomizu-dera temple, founded in 773. Kyoto Station is approximately nine minutes away by taxi.
Sample rates: Suite 1 per night for double occupancy in mid-April, including breakfast, is ¥69,700 (approximately $525). Suites 2 and 3 are ¥104,200 per night (approximately $785).