My sleeping arrangements

The hallway on the second floor

Gojo Guesthouse is a hostel about 5 - 10 minutes from Kiyomizudera. It is a Japanese-style hostel, so the six of you sleep on futon in a big tatami room. American futon are heavy, uncomfortable bed-couches, but futon refers to what is basically the comforter that you cover yourself with. Japanese beds are a foam mattress on the bottom, a bottom sheet next, then a top sheet, and then the futon blanket. They fold up neatly, and are usually stored in the closet so the room can be used during the day. Despite what you might think, they are very comfortable, especially if you can find the thick foam ones. Fortunately, Gojo Guesthouse is not excessively traditional; traditional pillows are a wooden headrest.

The sleeping rooms are upstairs. Downstairs is a cafe, that doubles as a common area, along with two computers for Internet, and free wifi if you brought your own computer. The cafe is open during the day, and if you stay overnight, you get a voucher for a free drink. I got some drink that tasted kind of like orange marmelade dissolved in cold water. It was pretty good. If you are so inclined, you can purchase breakfast in the morning. There is a ramenya about five minutes away, which is good for dinner. Walk right after exiting, it will be a small shop with an orange banner very shortly after the street next to the parking garage. I recommend getting the “set”: ramen, rice, and some very excellent gyoza.

This was a nice hostel. It is more impersonal that Sandalwood, but if you want the Japanese experience, this is a good place to get it. It also has the advantage of being close to most of the sights.