Kyoto Insider

SCRATCH THE SURFACE of Kyoto and you will come up with the usual suspects such as Arashiyama, the Bamboo Forest or the geisha-centric Gion district.

But the history and traditions of this ancient capital of Japan go much deeper than this, and all it takes is a bit of insider knowledge to make your stay a culturally enriching one.

The "Insider's Kyoto" is the selling point of Shimaya Stays - a boutique accommodation company owned by four friends who started out looking for interesting places to stay and ended up owning their own. They now have three townhouse properties in Higashiyama ward, right smack within the labyrinth of historical wooden buildings and enchanting alleyways that make up the Gion neighbourhood.