There are many pockets of calm to be found in Kyoto, from Japanese zen gardens and Buddhist shrines to quaint backstreets and tiny urban gardens glimpsed through slatted screens. None will restore you back to yourself quite like Maana Homes. With three properties dotted across the city, they offer a series of luxury, sanctuary-like spaces that will soothe your senses and help ease your mind. After just one night in Maana Kiyomizu, I felt so rested and at home that I hardly wanted to leave and step back into the real world. It’s the kind of place that will almost force you to slow down and take in its quiet beauty, as you appreciate all the little details that make for a peaceful stay.
[Ad – I received a complimentary night’s stay at Maana Kiyomizu Suite 3]
All images Cate St Hill
The idea for Maana Homes started as a scribble on the back of a restaurant napkin. Childhood friends and fellow creatives Irene Chang and Hana Tsukamoto would often travel together but felt there was a real need for a luxury hotel experience that would connect with people on a deeper level. When you can travel the world, step into a hotel and feel like you could be anywhere, Irene and Hana instead wanted to create a home away from home feeling, where the simple moments of everyday life become a form of meditative luxury.
Inspired by the idea of slow living and the simple pace of Kyoto life, they’ve created an experience that at once connects you to your immediate surroundings, while also taking you on a delightful journey of escapism. The word Maana translates as ‘senses’ and you can really see how they’ve designed the spaces to enliven the sensory experience, whether it’s with the use of natural, textured materials left in their perfectly imperfect state, or the way light has been treated so it filters softly through the spaces, dancing beautifully on the tactile walls. The senses can also be soothed by the mindful ritual of tea making or the restorative peace of a bath surrounded by nature.
Maana Homes opened their first property in 2018, followed by two more in 2020 and 2022. For each location they worked to painstakingly restore an ancient machiya guesthouse, a type of traditional wooden townhouse that is typified by a narrow frontage and a long footprint, with a series of intimate rooms made from earthen walls. I stayed in Maana Kiyomizu, which was designed together with local architects Uoya Shigenori and Takeshi Ikei to create three suites, as well as a cafe and store. Machiya houses tend to have dark, cavernous interiors, but Maana has worked hard to open the spaces up and bring in natural light. The result expertly blends the old with the new, balancing a nod to history with the luxuries of modern living.
I was in Suite 3, which features an open plan living and kitchen area that centres on a spectacular double height space, exposing the old wooden beams of the original structure. A long, concrete effect island creates a centrepiece to gather around, lit by three Japanese paper lanterns that offer a soft, cosy glow. Architectural wooden steps guide you up to two bedroom spaces decorated in artisanal washi paper (they were too dark to take good photos of, but offered the perfect, cocoon-like space for sleep).
My favourite space was the bathroom, which perfectly encapsulates the idea of forest bathing in interior form. Even though you are in the centre of the city, it feels like you’re bathing in amongst nature, thanks to the private courtyard garden and delicate greenery. Every surface is tactile – nothing is polished or cold to the touch, including the handmade Shigaraki tub. It makes for a very grounding experience.
I also had a peek in Suite 2, which features a cosy bedroom wrapped in bamboo screens as well as a tatami room that can be used for two additional guests (perfect if you had younger children who didn’t mind camping out on tatami mats and futon mattresses!). The last four images are of POJ Studio, the homeware shop that you can find next door to Maana Kiyomizu, and which is not to be missed, even if you’re not staying. I definitely need to go back for one of their Kintsugi or incense making workshops.
There are many reasons calling me to return, not least the feeling of calm I felt after just 24 hours in Maana’s sanctuary-like surroundings. Even if you’re not planning a trip yourself, I hope these images provide a moment of zen interior inspiration.
