Sento

Choja-yu

Kitano, Kyoto

Address
450 Suhama Higashimachi, Kamigyo-ku, Kyoto 京都府京都市上京区上長者町通松屋町西入ル須浜東町450
Hours
Mon, Wed to Sun
15:10 to midnight
Tue
Closed

Source: 1010.kyoto, checked 11 Oct 2026.

Choja-yu opened in 1917 and keeps its early Showa look, from the curved gable over the entrance to the koi pond, stone lanterns, coffered ceiling and wicker clothes baskets inside. The tile pictures show Kinkaku-ji in snow on the men's side and Kiyomizu-dera in cherry blossom on the women's, and the water is well water heated over a wood fire. Kyoto City named the building a historic landscape building in August 2025.

Nearest station Horikawa-Shimochojamachi bus stop (City Bus 9, 12, 50, 67)
Cost ¥
Time needed 1 hour
Best time Early evening
Rainy day

Insider tip

Entry is ¥550, paid at the bandai, the raised desk by the door. A sauna was added in October 2023. Towels are for rent or sale and shampoo is sold at the desk. It's closed on Tuesdays.

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What's on near Choja-yu

Upcoming events within a ten-minute walk of Choja-yu, from the weekly Kyoto events calendar.

Festival Free

Seimei-sai at Seimei Shrine

晴明祭

22 to 23 Sept (dates to be confirmed) Seimei Shrine, Kitano

Time Eve 19:00, procession 13:00 to 18:00 Station Ichijo Modoribashi Seimei-jinja-mae bus stop (City Bus 9, 12)

The festival of the shrine to the court diviner Abe no Seimei, on the autumn equinox and the night before. The eve has yudate kagura at 19:00 and a lantern procession of about 100 local children, and on the day the mikoshi leaves at 13:00 behind a boys' fife and drum band and goes round the parish until 18:00.

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The main hall of Seimei Shrine with lanterns bearing its star emblem, Kyoto Fg2, Public domain
Garden

Cherry Festival at the Old Kyoto Prefectural Office

京都府庁旧本館 観桜祭

28 Mar to 12 Apr (dates to be confirmed) Kyoto Prefectural Government Old Main Building, Imperial Palace

Time 10:00 to 17:00, light-up 18:00 to 20:00 to 5 April Station Marutamachi (Karasuma Line), 10 min walk

Seven cherries fill the courtyard of the old prefectural office, an Important Cultural Property, among them a grandchild of Maruyama Park's first weeping cherry and the rare Katamori-zakura. It's lit up in the evenings for the first week.

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The Renaissance style front of the Kyoto Prefectural Old Main Building, with its central porch and mansard roof J o, CC BY-SA 3.0

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Nearby

Yamanaka Aburaten Shopping · 5 min walk Yamanaka Aburaten has sold oil on Shimodachiuri-dori since the Bunsei era (1818 to 1830), and it's one of the few oil specialists left in Japan. Coffee House Jittoku Nightlife · 6 min walk Jittoku has put on live music since 1973 in a converted sake storehouse on Omiya-dori, north of Nijo Castle, with room for 80 to 100 people. Shinme Nightlife · 7 min walk Shinme has served drinks on Senbon-dori since 1934 and is said to be Kyoto's oldest izakaya. Seimei Shrine Shrine · 7 min walk Seimei Shrine honours Abe no Seimei, the Heian-era yin-yang diviner, and his five-pointed star crest hangs on the torii where most shrines put their... Menbaka Fire Ramen Food · 8 min walk Menbaka has served ramen on Marutamachi-dori since 1984, and a year after opening it hit on its trick, pouring flaming oil over the green onions on a... Nishijin Textile Center Museum · 9 min walk The Nishijin Textile Center is the weaving industry association's showroom on Horikawa-dori.

Around Kitano

Tenjin's head shrine, Kyoto's oldest geisha district and Daitoku-ji

Start at Kitano Tenmangu, head shrine of about 12,000 Tenjin shrines, founded in 947 for Sugawara no Michizane, the scholar students still pray to before exams. Come on the 25th, when the Tenjin-san Market fills the approach and the lanterns are lit after dark. Kamishichiken, Kyoto's oldest geisha district, lines the shrine's east approach, and Daitoku-ji's Zen temples are about 1.7 km north-east.

Kitano has 25 places on the Roam Kyoto map: 10 shrines and temples, 3 cafes, 3 shops, 2 restaurants, 2 bathhouses, 1 viewpoint, 1 neighbourhood, 1 museum, 1 bar and 1 market. Read the Kitano guide.

Good to know

What is the address of Choja-yu?
450 Suhama Higashimachi, Kamigyo-ku, Kyoto (in Japanese: 京都府京都市上京区上長者町通松屋町西入ル須浜東町450).
What are the opening hours of Choja-yu?
Mon, Wed to Sun 15:10 to midnight; Closed Tue.
How do I get to Choja-yu?
The nearest station is Horikawa-Shimochojamachi bus stop (City Bus 9, 12, 50, 67). Choja-yu is in Kitano, Kyoto.
How much does Choja-yu cost?
Choja-yu is cheap, marked ¥ on the site's price scale.
How long do you need at Choja-yu?
Plan for 1 hour.
When is the best time to visit Choja-yu?
Early evening.

Stay near Choja-yu

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