Nara as a Base: The Calmer Way to Explore Kyoto, Osaka and Kansai

Everyone tells you to stay in Kyoto. Here is the case for not doing that — and coming home to Nara instead.

The problem with basing yourself in Kyoto or Osaka

Kyoto is magnificent and, in season, exhausting. Hotel rates surge, restaurants require reservations weeks out, and the crowds around Gion and Kiyomizu-dera can feel like rush hour. Osaka is energetic but rarely restful. If your trip is longer than a few days — or if you are travelling with family, pets, or colleagues — where you sleep matters more than where you sightsee.

Nara sits at the centre of Kansai

From THE KAKU, in the quiet Naramachi district:

• Kyoto — about 35–45 minutes by car or direct Kintetsu express
• Osaka — about 40 minutes
• Uji (Byodo-in, tea houses) — on the way to Kyoto
• Kansai International Airport — about 90 minutes; transfers can be arranged
• Nara Park and Kofuku-ji Temple — a 3-minute walk from the front door

You can spend the day anywhere in Kansai and return to streets where the loudest sound after dark is the temple bell.

A residence, not a hotel room

THE KAKU is a private machiya residence of over 250 sqm across two villas — living room, dining room, tea room, full kitchen, Miele washer-dryer, fitness room and a natural-stone open-air bath. For stays of a week or longer, this is the difference between travelling and living: cook when you like, do laundry without hunting for coins, hold a meeting at a single-slab dining table, and let the family spread out instead of splitting across hotel rooms.

Dogs and cats are welcome — a rarity at this level in Japan — so the whole family travels together.

How guests actually use it

• Families and three generations: mornings with the deer in Nara Park, day trips to Kyoto, evenings cooking together
• Executives and remote workers: a calm base with fast Wi-Fi and wired LAN between meetings in Osaka and Kyoto
• Relocating families: weeks-to-months stays while settling into Kansai — we have hosted stays of over a month

Practical notes

• Sleeps up to 8 in the Kin Suite; up to 10 with exclusive use of both villas
• Weekly and monthly stays: exclusive use from JPY 1,260,000 for 7 nights; monthly stays quoted individually
• English support, private parking with EV charging, airport and station transfers on request

For corporate stays, relocations and long visits, see our Corporate & VIP page or check availability directly.