Located on the northwestern outskirts of Kyoto, Arashiyama (嵐山) has been famed for its natural landscapes and cultural heritage since the Heian period (794–1185). Flanked by the Katsura River to the southwest, it is home to numerous temples such as Tenryu-ji (天龍寺, Temple of the Heavenly Dragon), as well as natural landmarks including the bamboo groves and Togetsukyo Bridge (渡月橋, Moon Crossing Bridge). Once among the most popular retreats for the Japanese aristocracy, Arashiyama remains today one of the busiest destinations for visitors from around the world.
Portal leading to Yusai-tei. Main building.
Compared with the world-renowned sites mentioned above, Yusai-tei (祐斎亭) is more of a hidden local favourite. Originally built as a traditional inn about 150 years ago, it later served as a restaurant and teahouse. Secluded by forest and overlooking the Katsura River, it became particularly popular with Japanese intellectuals and artists. Yasunari Kawabata (川端康成), the first Japanese Nobel laureate in literature, stayed here while working on his novel The Sound of the Mountain.
Yusai-tei is located on a hill with a view over the Katsura river.
Today, Yusai-tei serves primarily as an art gallery for the dyeing artist Okuda Yusai (奥田祐斎). About a ten-minute walk from Arashiyama Station, a flight of cobbled steps winds gently upward through the hillside to a wooden portal gate. Such gates are common in traditional East Asian architecture, marking the threshold into a private or sacred space. Shielding visitors from the bustle of the outside world, the entrance immediately evokes a sense of calm and serenity. The short walk between the gate and the main building thus becomes also a psychological passage, shifting the guest’s focus from the external world to the inner.
Spherical glass bowls create interesting visual effects with the forest outside.
The highlight of Yusai-tei—as you will notice once you step into the wooden main building—is its stunning views. The building comprises several rooms, each employing different devices—painted wooden tables, carefully crafted window frames, water surfaces, ball-shaped glass bowls—to create various visual interactions with the surrounding landscape.
Strong contrasts between light and shadows, framed by the round windows, enhance the visual interaction with the forest outside.
At the heart of the building lies a large rectangular room with round windows. The forest beyond, framed by the circular openings, is reflected upon the surface of a carefully positioned lacquered table, producing a mirage-like illusion at the room’s centre. As the light outside shifts, the view within transforms accordingly. It is easy to imagine how the scene changes with the seasons: cherry blossoms in spring, the scarlet and gold of autumn maples, the snow-laden branches of winter. Here, the Japanese sensitivity towards the passing of time and the change of seasons takes on a visual dimension, elevating the experience into the realm of the spiritual.
The forest is reflected in the water mirror. You can practice calligraphy with water on the edge of the water mirror. Fountains in the garden.
On your way out, remember to pass through the water garden, where you can take a seat outside with a commanding view over the emerald-green Katsura River. The leaves and branches of the surrounding forest form a natural frame for the boats gliding down the river. The contrast between the tranquillity of the forest and the river’s steady flow renders the scene all the more mesmerising.
Most people are not aware of the fact that you can book a table at Cafe Hassui without a hotel reservation. The menu is available in both English and Japanese. The Japanese afternoon tea consists of 15 small dishes including traditional snacks and pastry.
Just when you think you have finished with this corner of Arashiyama, there is another spot hidden in plain sight. Only a few steps from Yusai-tei lies the luxury hotel Suiran, a Marriott property. A standard room here can easily cost over 5,000 NOK per night, yet few realise that its café, Hassui, is open to guests without hotel reservations. Its Japanese afternoon tea menu (520 NOK) features 15 small dishes, including traditional Japanese desserts and snacks, as well as Western pastries such as croissants and canelés. For 90 minutes, you can choose any drinks on the menu freely. Sitting on the viewing balcony with a freshly whisked bowl of matcha tea, you may find the quiet charm of Kyoto beginning to sink in.
The cafe has a nice view over the river. The meal is rounded off with a freshly whipped bowl of matcha tea.
Yusai-tei 6 Sagakamenoocho, Ukyo-Ku, Kyoto
Cafe Hassui 12 Susukinobaba-Cho, Ukyo-Ku Kyoto
Both places require reservations.