kokyu kyoto — Press
PRESS KIT
A meditation spa and gallery
in an old Kyoto townhouse
AT A GLANCE
NAME
kokyu kyoto (kokyu spa, kokyu gallery)
WHAT
A meditation head spa on the second floor, a gallery on the first
WHERE
509-2 Hoteiyacho, Nakagyo-ku, Kyoto. Five minutes on foot from Kyoto Shiyakusho-mae Station
OPENED
2022
THE HOUSE
A townhouse from around 1940. Renovation by Souta Youriki, keeping the old walls, with copper and iron left to age
FOUNDER
Hidenori Shiratori, GG inc., Kyoto (also haku and su)
THE SPA
Four sessions a day, up to two guests at a time. English-speaking therapist
THE GALLERY
Opens once a month, on the day of the new moon
GUESTS SAY
Rated 5.0 on Google
THE STORY
Kokyu means breath. The spa began from a simple idea: when you slow your breathing, you come back to yourself, and the world begins to look dear again.
The house is part of that idea. kokyu wants to affirm the beauty of people and things growing older. So the townhouse was not polished into something new. Its old walls stay, and copper and iron are left to change with time. Curated Kyoto called it “imperfectly perfect”.
kokyu is not a spa made to look Japanese for visitors. It was made in Kyoto by people who live here, and most of its guests live in Japan. The therapists train in kokyu’s own method, and there are only four sessions a day, so no one is rushed.
“When you return to yourself, the world begins to look dear again.”
THE EXPERIENCE
A quiet talk about how you feel today
A foot bath, and loosening the shoulders
Aroma and deep breathing, to slow down
A head spa that moves in time with your breath
Tea and a small sweet
Circular course, 120 min: head, hands and feet. JPY 24,000
Inner Balance, 90 min: head only. JPY 19,200
About 2.5 hours in all. Tax included.
STORY IDEAS
A spa paced by breath. Why kokyu works slowly, and what changes when you breathe deeply for two hours.
A house allowed to age. Old walls, copper and iron, and the idea of beauty that comes with time.
A gallery that opens on the new moon. Craft and antiques shown once a month.
Where Kyoto people go to rest. A small spa loved mostly by people who live in Japan.
IMAGES
Free to use with articles about kokyu. Tap an image for the full size. Credit: kokyu kyoto
CONTACT
Press visits can be arranged.
Please write with your dates and the story you have in mind.
Instagram @kokyu_spa ・ @kokyu_gallery
Guest information in English