Japanese lifestyle retailer Muji is opening a hotel in the heart of the historic and culture-rich Kyoto city on May 20.

The hotel, named Muji Base Kyoto Kiyomizu, is located at the entrance to the historic approach to Kiyomizu-dera Temple, one of the signature landscape and Unesco World Heritage sites in the city.

The company has renovated the 40-year-old building that was previously Amenity Hotel Kyoto, turning it into a new 18-room hotel while preserving its exterior. 

Guest rooms are centred on Muji products and furniture and incorporate works by local artists. Other facilities include a utility room with a water server, washing machine, dryer, and iron, and a lounge on the first floor featuring Ogawa Coffee.

Unlike the Muji Hotel in Ginza, Muji Base follows a different concept. The new hotel is situated in local neighbourhoods rather than busy urban centres, allowing guests to experience the “ordinary” local lifestyle and culture.

Aside from exploring Kiyomizu-dera, the brand has also highlighted several community-based experiences for visitors, including kintsugi (the art of repairing broken pottery with gold), bathhouses, traditional tea shops and gift stores, freshly made tofu shops, and water-related purification rituals at temples.

Hotel guests will also be provided with a ‘walking basket’, which includes maps, water bottles, and other items for exploring the area. 

The hotel is located about a 15-minute drive from Muji’s large-format store in Kyoto. In addition to the brand’s standard product lineup, the store offers a wide range of food items, including fresh vegetables, meat, fish, prepared foods, and groceries.

Room rates at Muji Base Kyoto Kiyomizu start at 20,200 yen (US$128) per night. Reservations can now be made on the hotel’s website.

• Further reading: Muji to open its largest store yet in Nara Prefecture.