Staying in a traditional Japanese house (kominka) in Nagoya: what to know before you book a whole house

If you want to stay in a traditional Japanese house (kominka) in Nagoya, renting a whole house is the way to do it. You share nothing with other guests: you can cook in the kitchen, do your laundry and live as if it were your own home. Central Nagoya House is a renovated kominka in Nakamura Ward, Nagoya: a 144 m² house with 5 bedrooms and 8 beds for up to 16 guests. It is 7 minutes' walk from Nakamura Koen Station on the Higashiyama subway line, 4 stops (about 7 minutes) from Nagoya Station. No meals are served and you take your shoes off indoors, so a stay here is a little different from a hotel. This article explains what to know before you go.

How is renting a whole kominka different from a hotel?

The biggest difference is that there is no one in the house but you. A large group can spend time together in the living and dining rooms, but there is no front-desk staff. Questions are answered through the contact form or the booking site's messages. Unlike a hotel room, the kitchen, dining room and garden are yours to use on your own schedule: cook a slow breakfast in the morning, then gather in the living room in the evening to plan the next day.

What is Central Nagoya House like?

• Size: a 144 m² house with no shared spaces
• Bedrooms: 5 (one connects to the next room), on the ground and first floors
• Beds: 6 doubles and 2 semi-doubles, 8 in total. Up to 16 guests
• Bathrooms: a shower room, a bathroom with a bathtub, a washbasin and a washer-dryer. Toilets on both floors, 2 in total
• Kitchen: 2-burner gas hob, fridge, microwave, rice cooker, electric kettle, cookware and tableware
• Also: 5 air conditioners, 2 hair dryers, a TV, fast Wi-Fi and a private back garden with a clothesline

The living room has a sofa and TV, with light from windows facing the garden. The dining room has a table big enough for a large group. With toilets on both floors, a big group spends less time waiting in the morning. There are 5 air conditioners, and 2 hair dryers, so a big group is less likely to queue for them while getting ready.

What should you keep in mind when staying in a kominka?

House is in a residential neighbourhood, close to where people live, so there are a few rules.

• No shoes indoors. Please take them off at the entrance
• Please keep quiet from 20:00 to 8:00
• No parties or events
• No smoking anywhere, inside or outside
• No pets
• Guests without Japanese nationality must provide a copy of their passport and fill in the guest register (required by Japanese law)

No meals are served. For dinner, you can go out for Nagoya food or cook in the kitchen. With a 2-burner gas hob and a rice cooker, you can cook rice and eat it with dishes bought nearby.

What group size is it best for?

Sleeping up to 16, it suits families, several families together and groups of friends. Bedrooms are on two floors, so families can take a floor or room each. A small group can still rent the whole house, but Residence (a private floor of an apartment building, up to 9 guests) or Stays (close to the station, up to 4 guests) may suit you better. There is a 10% discount for long stays.

What should you check when choosing a kominka stay?

Layouts and facilities vary a lot from one old house to the next. Checking these 5 things before you book means fewer surprises when you arrive.

• Number of bedrooms, and beds or futons: House has 8 beds (6 doubles and 2 semi-doubles). For extra bedding such as futons, please contact us
• Number of toilets and bathrooms: this matters more the bigger your group. House has toilets on both floors and a shower room separate from the bathroom
• How you get the key: House has self check-in with a keypad lock, so there is no front desk to collect a key from
• Quiet hours: stays in residential areas have them. At House they are 20:00 to 8:00
• The walk from the station: that is how long you carry your luggage. House is 7 minutes' walk from Nakamura Koen Station

What is a longer stay like?

For a stay of about a week, how easy it is to do laundry and cook makes a big difference. House has a washer-dryer, and on sunny days you can hang laundry outside in the back garden. You can make breakfast in the kitchen and mix days of sightseeing and Nagoya food out with days of eating in. There is also a 10% long-stay discount; check the booking site for conditions such as the minimum number of nights.

The house is in a residential area near Nakamura Park. Laid out in 1901, the park has a garden with a path around the pond and a tea house, and entry is free. It is just the right distance for a morning walk.

Where to go for Nagoya food when eating out

The easiest option is Nagoya Station, about 7 minutes from House by subway. Nagoya Umaimon-dori inside the station has 17 restaurants, including Misen, Yabaton, Maruya Honten and Ekikama Kishimen. For the original flagship restaurants, try Yabaton Yabacho Honten for miso katsu (founded 1947; 11:00–21:00, open every day; 5 minutes' walk from Exit 4 of Yabacho Station) or Atsuta Horaiken Jingu branch for hitsumabushi (founded 1873; 3 minutes' walk from Temmacho Station; closed Tuesdays and the 2nd and 4th Mondays, open on public holidays). Afterwards, you can go back and relax in a house that is all yours.

How far is it from Nagoya Station and the sights?

House is 7 minutes' walk from Nakamura Koen Station and 10 minutes' walk from Nakamura Nisseki Station on the Higashiyama Line.

Where can you see old streets?

Nagoya is not a city of continuous historic streets like Kyoto. If you want to walk among old houses, stay in Nagoya and go out to these places.

• Endoji Shotengai and Shikemichi (Nagoya): Endoji, said to be the oldest shopping street in Nagoya, and Shikemichi, with storehouses on stone walls. About 5 minutes' walk from Kokusai Center Station
• Inuyama (Aichi): about 25 minutes from Nagoya by Meitetsu. Inuyama Castle, a National Treasure (two stars in the Michelin Green Guide), and its two-star castle town
• Takayama (Gifu): about 2 hours 20 minutes from Nagoya on the Limited Express Hida. Its old town has three stars in the Michelin Green Guide
• Shirakawa-go (Gifu): about 2 hours 30 minutes by highway bus from the Meitetsu Bus Center. Its thatched villages were inscribed as a World Heritage Site in 1995

• Small towns to visit from Nagoya →
• Choosing a place for a group in Nagoya →
• Central Nagoya House →

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