The open-air bath in the courtyard at Minato: a black tub with a wooden lid board and a wooden faucet post, beside a stone lantern and young trees

Kawasaki, Ise, Mie | About 12 min on foot from Iseshi Station

-湊- Minato Ise-kawasaki

Take in the historic streets of Kawasaki,
the storehouse quarter that supported Ise Jingu.

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Concept

A harbor for your journey,
in Kawasaki

Kawasaki has prospered since the Edo period (1603–1868) as a wholesale quarter supplying the pilgrims who came to Ise Jingu. In the old-world atmosphere that still lingers along the Seta River, Minato (湊, “harbor”) offers a new base for your travels: a harbor where people come together.

The house, more than 100 years old, was once the premises of a vinegar wholesaler. We renovated it fully while keeping its historic character, and rent it whole to just one group per night. Iseshi Station and Geku, the Outer Shrine of Ise Jingu, are both within walking distance, so it makes a fine base for a memorable visit to Ise Jingu.

A whole traditional townhouse

Built in 1920 and more than 100 years old, rented whole to one group per night

Fully renovated

Renovated throughout, including the bath, toilet and washroom

Goemon-style open-air bath

Enjoy an open-air bath in the courtyard

A walkable location

Walk to the many places to eat in the Kawasaki area. Iseshi Station and Geku (Outer Shrine) are also within walking distance

Amenities

Rooms and facilities

Property type
Traditional townhouse, rented whole
Built
1920
Guests
Up to 6
Bedrooms
2
Parking
Free, 1 car
Check-in
From 3:00 p.m.
Check-out
By 11:00 a.m.
The renovated washroom: black bowl basins with black faucets on a dark counter

Fully renovated

We renovated the whole house, including the bath, toilet and washroom. It keeps the character of an old townhouse, and is now a comfortable place to stay.

The open-air bath in the courtyard: a black tub with wooden lid boards beside a stone lantern

Goemon-style open-air bath

An open-air bath set in the courtyard, in the style of a goemon-buro, the traditional Japanese cauldron bath. Soak away the day under the open sky, among the greenery.

Facilities

  • Air conditioning
  • Refrigerator
  • Microwave
  • Electric kettle
  • Flush toilet
  • Bathroom with tub and shower
  • Washbasin
  • Hair dryer
  • Free Wi-Fi

Amenities

  • Toothbrushes
  • Bath towels and face towels
  • Shampoo, conditioner and body soap
  • Hand soap

Sleepwear, clothes irons, hair irons, a washing machine, a clothes dryer and facial toner are not provided.

Good to know

  • Shoes off indoors. Shoes are not worn indoors, so please take them off when you come inside.
  • Sleeping on the floor. There are no bed frames: you sleep on mattresses laid on the floor, and bedding is provided for six. We have chosen well-regarded bedding.
  • No kitchen. The house has a refrigerator, a microwave and an electric kettle, but no kitchen. The Kawasaki area has many places to eat within walking distance.
  • Self check-in. Check-in is self-service, with a smart lock.
  • Quiet at night. This is a traditional wooden building, so it is less soundproof than a modern reinforced-concrete one. Please keep noise down at night.
  • Insects. Insects may get indoors in some seasons, so please use the window screens and keep doors and windows shut when you go out.
  • House rules. No pets, no smoking, and no parties, events or commercial photography.

Access

Getting here

Kawasaki 3-chome, Ise
Mie 516-0009, Japan
By train
About 12 min on foot from Iseshi Station (JR and Kintetsu lines)
By car
About 6 min from the Ise interchange (Ise IC) on the Ise Expressway
Parking
Dedicated space, free, 1 car

Getting to Ise from Nagoya, Osaka or Kansai Airport

Take the train to Iseshi Station, which is served by both Kintetsu Railway and JR. From all three places, the main route is a Kintetsu Limited Express. The times below are approximate and vary by train, so please check the latest timetable before you travel.

From Nagoya: about 1 hour 20 minutes to 1 hour 30 minutes by Kintetsu Limited Express, with no change of trains. Take one bound for Ujiyamada, Isuzugawa, Toba or Kashikojima, not one bound for Osaka.

  • Trains leave from Kintetsu-Nagoya Station, which is separate from JR Nagoya Station. Allow about 5 minutes to reach it from the JR lines through the connecting gate, or about 9 minutes from the Shinkansen gates.
  • By JR, the Rapid “Mie” runs from JR Nagoya Station to Iseshi about once an hour during the day, also with no change. It takes about 1 hour 30 minutes to 1 hour 55 minutes.

From Osaka: about 1 hour 45 minutes to 1 hour 55 minutes by Kintetsu Limited Express from Osaka-Namba Station.

  • Take a train bound for Ujiyamada, Toba or Kashikojima, not one bound for Nagoya. At most times of day there is a through train to Iseshi. At other times, you change to another Limited Express at Tsuruhashi or Yamato-Yagi.
  • You can also board at Osaka-Uehommachi (about 1 hour 40 minutes to 1 hour 45 minutes) or Tsuruhashi (about 1 hour 40 minutes), with no change of trains.
  • Kintetsu does not run from Shin-Osaka Station or JR Osaka Station. From Shin-Osaka, the Osaka Metro Midosuji Line takes 16 minutes to Namba, with no change, and the Kintetsu platforms at Osaka-Namba are about 5 minutes from the subway gates. From JR Osaka Station, the JR Osaka Loop Line (toward Kyobashi) reaches Tsuruhashi in about 16 minutes.

From Kansai International Airport: about 3 hours, changing from Nankai Electric Railway to Kintetsu in Osaka. This total is our own estimate, made by adding up the three legs below and allowing for waiting time.

  • Nankai from Kansai-Airport Station to Namba Station: about 38 minutes by Limited Express Rapi:t, which needs a limited express ticket, or about 44 minutes by Airport Express.
  • On foot from Nankai’s Namba Station to Kintetsu’s Osaka-Namba Station: about 10 minutes. They are separate stations.
  • Kintetsu Limited Express from Osaka-Namba to Iseshi: about 1 hour 45 minutes to 1 hour 55 minutes.
  • Take Nankai rather than JR from the airport, because JR’s airport limited express does not stop at Namba.
  • If you arrive at Terminal 2, a free shuttle bus (7–9 minutes) takes you to the Terminal 1 side, where the station is.

Tickets and rail passes: please note two points before you travel.

  • Every seat on a Kintetsu Limited Express is reserved. Besides the regular fare ticket, you need a limited express ticket for the specific train you will take. Buy it before you board: online (the service is available in English), at a station ticket counter or from a ticket machine. Sales open one month before the travel date.
  • The Japan Rail Pass cannot be used on Kintetsu, which is a private railway. On the JR Rapid “Mie” from Nagoya, pass holders pay an extra fare for the section between Kawarada and Tsu, where the train runs on the Ise Tetsudo Railway line.

From Iseshi Station to Minato: the house is about 12 minutes on foot. To visit Naiku, the Inner Shrine, without a car, walk back to Iseshi Station and take a bus or taxi from there.

Surroundings

Exploring the area

Ise Jingu Geku (Outer Shrine)

About 20 min on foot

Geku is within walking distance, and early morning is an especially good time to visit. Set out at an easy pace from Kawasaki, the quarter that helped the shrine flourish.

Kawasaki merchant quarter

Within walking distance

A historic streetscape of storehouses and townhouses dating back to the Edo period. The Ise Kawasaki Shoninkan (merchant museum) shows how the quarter lived and traded in its days as a merchant town.

Cafés along the Seta River

Within walking distance

Cafés and small shops occupy converted storehouses. Stroll along the Seta River and drop in at the cafés that make Kawasaki what it is.

Ise Jingu Naiku (Inner Shrine)

About 15 min by car

The main destination of a pilgrimage to Ise. Along the approach, Okage Yokocho is the place to snack as you stroll and look for souvenirs. Without a car, walk to Iseshi Station and take a bus or taxi from there.

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