Vegan Minshuku Sanbiki Neko — Hotel in Kyoto

Craig & Helen Addams deserve 10 stars for their stellar b&b Vegan Minshuku Sanbiki Neko, greatly enjoyed on my 10-day stay for autumn leaf-color season. Splendid hosts, they exude cheerful good humor, kindness, generosity, and expertise on Kyoto, Japan, and other topics. And with their charming Aussie English, language is no barrier, unlike at many lodgings in Japan.

Exemplars of Buddha’s teachings on right livelihood, they’ve created a real home away from home for travelers yearning for a more ethical-/eco-friendly place. Most graciously, the Addams offer their five upstairs private rooms at much lower prices than anywhere in Kyoto for such high quality. It’s a blend of traditional Japanese ryokan with a modern Japanese hotel’s amenities: attractive rooms with futon, pillow, and bedding for either cold or hot season, a low bamboo swivel chair, tatami mats (6 or 8 mats, depending on room-size), a Zen-styled tokonoma alcove, and shoji screens for a small balcony (behind sliding glass doors & bug-proof screen). For this solo traveler, it felt very spacious.

You also have: 1) en suite bathroom with deep tub-shower (a private onsen!), bidet-equipped toilet (heated seat in cold season), and vegan foam-soap, shampoo & conditioner; 2) amply shelved cabinet-closet to hide luggage & stuff for a tidy Zen room; 3) remote-controlled AC/heater, 4 electric outlets, 3 lights (main one has 3 brightness levels). Downstairs the dining area is also a tea room/ mini-library/ entertainment space. Next to the stairwell is a cozy cushioned nook with window. A clothes-washer is available. Everything in the rooms and common areas feels very new, pristine and immaculate.

Craig’s rotating, several-item breakfasts, served 8-9 AM daily, are (as reviewers proclaim) really delicious and nutritious for extensive sightseeing, like my daily 10 hours walking, hiking and taking photos at many Buddhist temples, Shinto shrines, and scenic gardens near and far. On the 3 days I left much earlier than 8 AM, Craig made Bento-box versions, and, for nominal charge, let me lunch on his massive falafel wraps filled with veggies & spices (and, toward the end of my visit, his tasty mushroom-walnut pastry rolls, only occasionally offered since the Addams retired their pandemic-era take-out food segment). They know many vegan or veg-friendly eateries around Kyoto, like Rika’s new vegan café Ku-Kai, just 0.4 mile away.

For most persons, wonderful sacred & cultural sites are within easy walking distance (too many to name here with Google word-limit). A few posters wish the B&B, located on a narrow lane in a quiet residential area, was closer to public transport. The solution: a free Uber account efficiently summons MK taxis (Japan’s most reliable taxi firm) to a spot in front of non-vegan Suigetsu noodle shop and red Coca-Cola vending machine a 1-minute walk west (90 meters) down the lane. For 500–1,000 yen ($3.40 - $6.80 USD at current rates), and you already save so much more by staying here at Vegan Minshuku, you can quickly taxi to dozens of regional Higashiyama attractions or transport hubs—the latter include a bus-stop downhill at Imakumano shrine on Higashioji street, or Tofukuji Station for JR and Keihan train lines, or a bit further, bustling Kyoto Station (9-12 minute ride, ~1400 yen). To beat the crowds over at Kyoto’s Arashiyama, an Uber taxi met me pre-dawn at 6:20 and got me to Togetsukyo bridge in just 26 minutes for Y5,200/$35. For only Y1,640 I could taxi to Kyoto Station, hop a JR Sagano (San-in) train (Y240) and walk the last 10 minutes, but wanted to get there ASAP.

After long hours sightseeing, you can get an Uber taxi directly home from anywhere in Kyoto or, to save money, take easy public transport to a nearby hub like Keihan line’s Shichijo Station or earlier mentioned train or bus stations, then summon an Uber MK taxi for the remaining ride up to Vegan Minshuku. Uber has it in their GPS guidance system, so MK taxi drivers know all the routes to get you back to that spot just 90 meters away from the Addams’ lovely...

I can’t give Vegan Minshuku Sanbiki Neko as many stars as it deserves, but I hope my words adequately convey my experience there.

I’ve travelled to 35 countries and stayed in hundreds of places -- from 200-year-old Tuscan villas to luxurious 6-star hotels in Morocco, charming AirBnbs, humble hostels, and Japanese ryokans -- and this has been my favourite place to stay by an incredible margin.

From the moment I arrived, I felt like I was stepping into a warm, welcoming haven (a version of vegan heaven!). The Aussie hosts, Helen and Craig, have created something magical, with gorgeous tatami-mat rooms, beautiful aesthetics, and amazing breakfasts.

The minshuku, built in 2018, perfectly blends modern comfort with the charm of traditional Japanese design. Each room is equipped with futons for sleeping, but there’s also the luxury of ensuites, complete with a bathtub for soaking, heated toilet seats, Washlets (in-built bidets), vegan toiletries, and the softest toilet paper I’ve ever had across many trips to Japan.

I don’t usually eat breakfast, but I rarely say no to vegan food being cooked for me, so I went down on the first morning to see what was on offer. I was blown away by the beautifully curated breakfast, featuring four different dishes: soup, salad, rice, and a main savoury creation. Over the five days I was there, there were no repeats of anything, and each day’s meal was so delicious. I went to quite a few vegan restaurants during my time in Kyoto, and none of them were as good as the breakfasts. Since food is my love language, having incredible breakfasts made me love my stay even more!

Beyond the care taken with the food, I also want to note that on my second morning there, one of the guests hadn’t come down for breakfast. Craig was a little concerned that she was okay, then at the end of breakfast, he packed her breakfast into a bento for her to eat later. These acts of care didn’t go unnoticed and make such a huge difference to the overall feel of a place. It didn’t feel like a place you’d go to just to sleep and shower … it was much more than that but hard to describe … maybe like being a guest in someone’s home, with the hosts going above and beyond to take care of you.

The communal dining experience was also enjoyable – I met several fellow guests each morning, all of whom were lovely. It was nice to share stories (especially being a solo traveller) and hear how others had spent their days.

Location-wise, it’s less than a 10-minute walk from the nearest bus stop, which, in the scheme of all the walking you’ll most likely do each day in Japan, is nothing. The walk up is on a very slight incline, so if you’re walking on arrival, I’d recommend a backpack rather than a case on wheels, but the taxi to/from Kyoto Station is only around ¥1,200. The neighbourhood has a high density of 80 - 90-year-olds, and each morning, I’d see several with their shopping trolleys walking down the hill to get their daily produce. The area is quiet, felt safe walking back late at night, and is within walking distance of some of the main attractions (such as Fushimi Inari Taisha).

I could wax lyrical for days about my stay at Vegan Minshuku Sanbeki Neko but I’ll stop here, and hope that every vegan travelling to Japan will put this accommodation on their list as a priority. I’m now staying at a business hotel in Osaka and the difference couldn’t be more stark. I regret not doubling my time at this wonderful minshuku.

Thank you so much, Helen and Craig, for your incredible kindness and hospitality. My dream is to one day wake up on a vegan planet, and I feel that you two are forging the path with your inspiring example, by showing the world how compassion can create a better future for...

As the first official guest to this lovely humble abode Vegan Neko has met my expectations. Helen & Craig, the Addams family, were wonderful hosts as well as great folks to conversed with. Cheerful Australian couple more than willing to answer your questions about Kyoto as well as provide their personal recommendations for sightseeing. Exercising humanity's ability to tell stories they endeared you with tales, life experiences and quirks of their journey living here in Japan.

A 15 minutes walk from the Tofokuji station where the Keihan Main Line & JR Line reside or a 30 minutes walk from Kyoto Station Vegan Neko resided in a neighborhood between the Tokaido Main Line & the Tokaido Shinkansen. While it is a bit secluded from the main attractions I did enjoyed the peace and quiet from the busier part of town. Even so you are on the right side of the Kamo River where many of the Old Kyoto monuments & temples resided on all within a reasonable walking hour. As a tourist I would even encourage you to rent a bike as that is a splendid way to view this city.

Even though I stayed in a Two Person Traditional 16 square meter room by myself there is enough space for a couple, especially with a closet for huge luggage. If you traveled enough in this country to be accustomed to space toilets and the simple engineering ingenuity when it comes to combining sink & shower it is the little touches that I appreciated. The bathroom toiletries provided are Vegan-based products and I know how imports can be costly. As a Vegan is important to keep practice at our values so I thank you HC. A little note of warning a feature the Japanese like to installed to their toilets are these loud noises to camouflage doing your business.

Besides providing the locations of famed landmarks and vegan restaurants the biggest boon would be the Vegan Breakfast itself. Japan is notorious for having fish ingredients in every products and cuisines. Even with the rising Vegan scene in Japan and Kyoto being one of its many beneficiaries there are not many establishments that open early for breakfast. So it was vitally important as Craig and Helen provided me great, tasty, Japanese vegan food to start my day. Also if you put in an early request the A-Team can make you vegan snacks / lunch. As an early adopter if there are more demands they will provide bentos in the future. As far as I am aware they want to welcome non-vegans to test our lifestyle as I am sure they would enjoy this meal.

If you are not a late-outer like me and may be a game enthusiast there are contemporary board games available in the common room / dining room. Take the initiative and ask them to play with you as they are more than willing to participate game night. If you're lucky you'll meet their three cats, all named after Rock Stars, who are the inspirations for their establishment.

Overall Vegan-friendly lodge, boardgames, and cats are my holy trinity that made my stay very enjoyable. I would encourage Vegan travelers to come to this inn to prove there can indeed be a market for these businesses to exist and flourish. If I ever return to visit Kyoto I would definitely stay here again. Helen and Craig thank you for the wonderful time and I hope things continue to work on your part of the world. See you when I see...