A Unique Way to Experience Kyoto in the Reiwa Era! What Are Kyoto’s “Mysterious Inns”? We’ll Even Show You the Rooms!

A "mysterious inn" in Kyoto's Shimogyo Ward that's been making headlines lately.
Among Kyoto’s many accommodations, this one is gaining attention for offering a particularly unique experience.

Therefore, in this issue.
・What is a "mysterious inn"?
・Is it true that the rooms at that mysterious inn are crazy?
・What kind of room is it?
We will introduce information such as the following.

Table of Contents

• ■What Is This “Mysterious Inn” Everyone’s Talking About in Shimogyo Ward, Kyoto City?
• ■ The incredibly mysterious rooms at “The Mysterious Inn” are insane!
• ■ Reviews of the Mysterious Inn
• ■ Summary

■What Is This “Mysterious Inn” Everyone’s Talking About in Shimogyo Ward, Kyoto City?

What exactly is this “mysterious inn” in Shimogyo Ward, Kyoto City, that’s been making headlines since it opened in August 2019?

○ Information

"Mysterious Inn," located in Kyoto, is an inn that accommodates about one or two guests. With a total of 11 guest rooms, it is known as a fun inn in "Hidden Kyoto" where guests can enjoy themselves.
・The "Scary Room," where you can control supernatural phenomena
・The “View Room,” where you can change the view
・The "Room with Too Many Switches," where the walls are covered with switches
・"The Gift Room," where you can even confess your feelings
・"Board Game Room," featuring a selection of popular board games
They feature rooms that are just too bizarre, and so on.

Also, on the first floor of the Mysterious Inn is the “Occasionally Moving Café.” It’s a special café open only to guests staying at the Mysterious Inn. (You can’t order anything there, but you can visit even if you’re not staying at the inn.)
At the entrance, there’s a noren curtain with a fortune-telling feature, and inside the shop, there are lanterns shaped like traditional Japanese umbrellas. I’ve heard they also offer fortune-telling to predict past lives and future fortunes, known as “O-hashira-san.”

One of the café’s most famous attractions is a feature on the menu: when you order a song, objects that normally don’t move—such as paper lanterns, clocks, and restroom signs—start dancing in time with the music. The sight of all these things dancing—not just when you order coffee or sandwiches, but when you order music—creates a truly magical atmosphere.

Music is
・Techno
・Rock
・French
・Japanese drums
・Time Announcement
Apparently, there are various dance styles based on nine genres, such as...

Combining entertainment, technology, and Kyoto, this interactive inn and the “occasionally moving coffee shop” are truly a form of Kyoto-style fun befitting the Reiwa era.

■ The incredibly mysterious rooms at “The Mysterious Inn” are insane!

What are the rooms like at the 11 inns featured in “Mysterious Inns” that have become a hot topic for being “too mysterious”? Let’s take a look at the features of each room.

○ The Scary Room

This room is said to be the site of paranormal phenomena caused by a hacked “dimming dial,” which was originally designed to adjust the brightness of the lights. The room features what is said to be the world’s first dial that allows you to adjust the level of fear; apparently, when the dial is set to 0, nothing happens. The dial has four settings, from 1 to 4, and paranormal phenomena occur according to the selected level. The description also notes that those with a weak heart or who are sensitive to flashing lights should refrain from entering, so it might be quite scary.
Apparently, it’s recommended that you don’t open the box under the costume rack until you reach Level 4. While you’re in the room, hands might fall from the ceiling, or you might hear mysterious voices. If you accidentally spoil the room’s secrets, they say you’ll be “welcomed” at night, so I made sure never to reveal any spoilers—not even in online reviews. If you go on a hot day, the fear might just cool you off…

○ Room with a View

As the name suggests, this is a room where you can change the view. Even though you’re staying in just one room, you can enjoy more than 20 different atmospheres—from a room nestled in the mountains to a space featuring mysterious shadow puppets. It feels like you’re staying in a variety of different rooms all at once.

○ Rooms with a lot of space

This room is highly recommended for anyone who loves playing with switches. The room is filled with switches. When you press them, they make all kinds of sounds, and you can enjoy playing them just like a sampler. Apparently, the sound changes depending on how you press them—whether it’s single-note mode, rapid-fire mode, or live mode. If you have young children, they’ll have a blast pressing them to their heart’s content.

○ The Gift Room

This is a room where you can send voice messages to your partner, family, or friends staying with you. Apparently, the voice messages play along with music and lighting effects. It’s the perfect way to make a unique proposal or express your everyday gratitude.

○ Board Game Room

From classic analog board games to cutting-edge, unique titles played using smartphones and IC cards, this popular room lets you enjoy board games to your heart’s content. Apparently, when the room is available, you can even play games in the café area.

○ Game Room

A room where you can play classic games that are sure to get everyone excited. From hanafuda—a game that’s quintessentially Kyoto—to shogi, Hyakunin Isshu, Othello, UNO, and many other popular games, there are so many options you might not be able to play them all in just one night!

○ Metabolism Room

The walls of the room are designed for bouldering, making it the perfect space for anyone who wants to get some exercise. With yoga equipment and strength-training gear like dumbbells available, you can work out to your heart’s content in the Japanese-style room. What a bold idea—offering a place to work out right in your accommodations!

○ A Nice Room

A charming room decorated with traditional Japanese accessories and clouds. It features a mysterious mechanism, and I’ve heard it’s the only quiet room among the 11 guest rooms.

○ The Room of Possession

A room where historical figures are said to possess the space. It’s said that if you ask a question at the household shrine, it will answer with a knock. Since the number of knocks indicates “yes” or “no,” you’ll want to ask all sorts of questions.

○ Fairy Tale Room

This is a room where, if you ask a question while facing the kamidana, characters from fairy tales will answer you. Characters from stories, legendary creatures, and more… apparently, they respond based on the number of knocks you make. Since characters like Momotaro are said to appear, you might get to meet a different one every day.

○ The Room That Spins

It’s a room where you just keep dialing away. Apparently, if you turn the dial on the black phone, you’ll get a response and can enjoy a conversation. Even young children who’ve never seen a black phone before are sure to have fun here.

■ Reviews of the Mysterious Inn

・I stayed at the “Mysterious Inn.” It was a blast!
・The hotel has three floors, with a wide variety of rooms on each floor. I had a great time.
・Each room has a different theme, so if you’re open to a bit of whimsy, you’ll enjoy this hotel.
・Just as rumored, both the rooms and the café are unique! It was a lot of fun! The staff at the front desk were all really nice, too.
・I’d like to say hello to Mr. Oshira again.
・You can have a magical experience here. It’s an inn that’s full of whimsy throughout.
・It’s close to Gojo Station, so access is excellent. It was also convenient because it’s just over a 10-minute walk to Kyoto Station.
・There are rooms with all kinds of different themes, which is really fun. The location of the café changes regularly, which is super interesting.

■ Summary

What did you think? In this article, we introduced “Fushigi no Yado,” a guesthouse in Kyoto where technology and entertainment come together to create a fun experience. While Kyoto has many places to stay, this one offers a completely different take on the concept—“Fun Rooms × Kyoto”—so you’re sure to enjoy a one-of-a-kind stay. If you’re looking to experience Kyoto in the Reiwa era, be sure to check it out.

Facility Name: Mysterious Inn

Address: 128 Hashizume-cho, Shimogyo Ward, Kyoto City, Kyoto Prefecture

Directions: About a 10-minute walk from Kyoto Station (turn right onto Rokujo-dori, then head north on Higashinotoin-dori; it’s on the right-hand side)

Phone: 075-746-6656