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Using a Kyoto townhouse as an office

If you're looking for an office, choose a traditional Kyoto townhouse ("Kyomachiya") that's unique to Kyoto.

When you think of Kyoto townhouses (Kyomachiya), you probably see many of them used not only as residences but also as shops and accommodations. But did you know they're also being used as offices? This page showcases the strengths of Kyoto townhouses, interviews with users, and information on support systems for business relocation and renovation.

The strengths of Kyoto's traditional townhouses as a business base

1. Kyoto's strengths as a business hub

DetailsHere

kyo-workingバナー

2. Strengths of Kyoto townhouses as business hubs (main points)

You can feel close to nature and work in a calm environment.

The back garden and courtyard allow natural light to enter, and you can feel close to nature, such as the changing vegetation throughout the seasons. It's a quiet and peaceful environment where you can do creative work in a different setting than usual.

  • You can feel close to nature and work in a calm environment.The back garden and courtyard allow natural light to enter, and you can feel close to nature, such as the changing vegetation throughout the seasons. It's a quiet and peaceful environment where you can do creative work in a different setting than usual.inner garden
  • You can work in a body-friendly environment using natural materials.Built using natural materials such as wood, paper, earth, and stone, the building breathes, regulating air and humidity, creating a healthy working environment. It offers a warmth, comfort, and a sense of age that is rarely found in newly constructed buildings. Furthermore, it is filled with the skills and dedication of the craftsmen who built the Kyoto townhouses, providing an interesting opportunity for new discoveries to be made in unexpected moments while working.

    fire bag Passageway garden
  • You can experience the lifestyle and culture that has been cultivated over time.Through activities such as replacing fixtures, sweeping the gate, sprinkling water, attending festivals, and participating in Jizo-bon (a Buddhist festival honoring ancestors), employees can experience the lifestyle and culture that has been cultivated to ensure a comfortable life in a traditional Kyoto townhouse.Door and window replacement
  • The floor plan can be changed flexibly.From the street in front, the shop area, the middle room, and the back room are connected, and by partitioning or removing sliding doors and screens, the layout can be flexibly changed to create reception rooms, meeting rooms, employee offices, and more.
  • This will be a selling point for acquiring customers.For companies looking to acquire customers in Kyoto, having a traditional Kyoto townhouse as their office can be a major selling point, as it can generate buzz during the initial approach, be easily accepted, and make visitors happy and more likely to return.
  • Conveniently locatedMany traditional Kyoto townhouses are located in the city center, and public transportation is well-developed, making it easy to travel to the Tokyo metropolitan area and Osaka.
  • We can pass on Kyoto's assets to future generations.This project allows us to contribute to society by passing on the "Kyomachiya," a traditional Kyoto townhouse that has been handed down through generations, to future generations, as part of the CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility) activities and SDGs (Sustainable Development Goals) initiatives required of modern companies.

Interviews with users [New!]

This article features interviews with people who actually use traditional Kyoto townhouses (Kyomachiya) as offices, sharing their firsthand experiences, including the advantages of using such houses, their user experience, and the reactions of those around them. Read the article and let your imagination run wild as you envision using a Kyoto townhouse yourself.

In addition, interviews with companies and entrepreneurs are published on the Kyoto City business attraction website "Kyo-working" and the Kyoto Machiya Preservation Network's information portal site for the utilization of Kyoto townhouses, "MATCH YA," so please be sure to check them out.

> "MATCH YA" - A portal site matching the future with traditional townhouses (This link will take you to an external site)
> Kyo-Working (This will take you to an external website)

> Other use cases

Support programs for business relocation and renovation of traditional Kyoto townhouses.

1. Support for matching with traditional Kyoto townhouses, etc.

(1) "MATCH YA," a portal site for information on the utilization of traditional Kyoto townhouses and other properties.

The Kyoto Machiya Preservation Network (Secretariat: Kyoto City Landscape and Urban Development Center) compiles and publishes real estate information, usage examples, and usage image proposals specifically for historical buildings such as Kyoto townhouses, old private houses, and modern Japanese-style houses that possess cultural value, on its portal site "MATCH YA".

> "MATCH YA" - A portal site matching the future with traditional townhouses (This link will take you to an external site)

(2) Kyoto City Business Location Matching Support System

After hearing your requirements, we will collaborate with real estate agents to provide you with information on properties such as office space, industrial land, and traditional Kyoto townhouses.

> Kyoto City Business Location Matching Support System (This will take you to the Kyoto City Information Center)

2. Support for business location

For companies that locate their headquarters, production bases, research institutes, offices, etc., within the city, we provide comprehensive, one-stop support ranging from hardware to software, including financial assistance through subsidies, support for site visits, and assistance in securing land and personnel.

> Kyo-Working (This will take you to an external website)

3. Support for the renovation of Kyoto townhouses

(1) Subsidies for large-scale renovations and routine repairs

A. Subsidy for the renovation of designated Kyoto townhouses

Subsidies are provided for repair and landscaping work, facility renovation work, etc., necessary for the preservation and inheritance of Kyoto townhouses in designated areas and individually designated areas based on the Kyoto Townhouse Ordinance.

> Subsidies for the renovation of designated Kyoto townhouses
> Designation system based on the Kyoto Machiya Ordinance

I. Subsidies for the maintenance and repair of individually designated Kyoto townhouses

We provide subsidies for the daily maintenance and repair of individually designated Kyoto townhouses based on the Kyoto Townhouse Ordinance.

> Subsidies for the maintenance and repair of individually designated Kyoto townhouses
> Designation system based on the Kyoto Machiya Ordinance

(2) Matching with construction companies and other professionals skilled in handling Kyoto townhouses, and consultation on renovation methods.

Kyoto townhouses are buildings constructed before the enactment of the Building Standards Act in 1950, and are built using traditional construction methods. The concept of earthquake resistance is also significantly different from the modern conventional construction method, which aims to withstand earthquake forces through the overall flexibility of the wood, such as through indentation and deformation. Therefore, renovations suitable for traditional construction methods are required.
Our Kyoto Machiya Matching System connects you with construction companies and architectural firms that are skilled in handling Kyoto Machiya, and our Kyoto Machiya Consultation Service (Kyoto Machiya Consultants) provides expert advice on renovation methods and other related matters.

> Kyoto Machiya Matching System
> Kyoto townhouse consultations
> Kyoto townhouse consultant