JAPAN | Mimaru Kyoto Kawaramachi Gojo Review ~ A Very Pokémon Stay
Monday, May 18, 2026
My son is obsessed with Pokémon. Ever since Jollibee came out with a kiddie meal with free Pokémons a few months ago and I introduced him to the show—1997’s Pokémon season one, Indigo League—he’s hooked. It was just fitting then that on our recent trip to Japan’s Kansai region, we found the perfect lodging for him—a full Pokémon-themed room at MIMARU Hotel in Kyoto’s Kawaramachi Gojo area. It’s a surprise, and we’re just as excited to see the look on his face when he enters the room!
| MIMARU Kyoto Kawaramachi Gogo Review TABLE OF CONTENTS ~ WHAT’S INSIDE? |
ABOUT MIMARU
 |
| KID A AND BG AT MIMARU KYOTO KAWARAMACHI GOJO |
MIMARU is a hotel chain in Japan that helped popularize apartment hotels. Noticing that families traveling together seemed too cramped in regular Japanese hotels, they started making larger rooms—complete with living spaces and working kitchens—that can fit up to ten guests. They started in 2018 and now have 29 properties in Tokyo, Osaka, and Kyoto—with preferred locations near train stations. They also pride themselves on having a multilingual staff from 35 countries, as of this writing.
Besides having large rooms, they’re also abuzz since opening Pokémon-themed rooms. They have five of these in their properties in Tokyo, one in Osaka, and four in Kyoto.
➤ CHECK MIMARU KYOTO RATES HERE!
GETTING THERE
 |
| TRAVELING TO KYOTO |
Flying directly from Manila to Osaka’s Kansai International Airport, we boarded a train straight to Kyoto for the first leg of this year’s Japan trip. We’re spending two weeks in Japan’s Kansai Region—exploring Kyoto for six days, Hyogo for four days, and Osaka for six days.
From the Kansai International Airport, we boarded a Nankai-Limited Express train to Kyobashi Station, which took an hour and a quarter for ¥1,180 per person. We were a bit confused at first since Kyobashi wasn’t listed on the train screen destinations. It turns out that the line we’re in transforms to the Hanwa Line, then the Osaka Loop Line—in one continuous go, meaning we didn’t have to go out of the train and change trains. And finally, Kyobashi appeared on the destination screen.
Before boarding the next train to Kyoto, we checked out a BOOKOFF branch at Kyobashi—our favorite thrift store in Japan—for Evangelion and Gundam toys and Kid A’s Pokémon cards while looking for a place to lunch out at. Pokémon cards found, lunch not found.
With that, we continued our journey, boarding a Keihan Non-Stop Rapid-Limited Express train for ¥480, getting off at Shichijo Station, and transferring to a Local Demachiyanagi train to Kyoto’s Kiyomizu-gojo Station. That took about forty minutes.
And finally, we emerged into a sunny Kyoto afternoon after continuously traveling for more than eight hours from the Philippines. Crossing the bridge over the Kamo River, MIMARU Kyoto Kawaramachi Gojo was just three minutes by foot away. Whew.
CHECKING IN
 |
| MIMARU KYOTO KAWARAMACHI GOJO LOBBY SITTING AREA |
Check-in time at most hotels in Japan is at 3:00PM, and MIMARU is no exception. We arrived about an hour early, but since our intended room was already available, they allowed us an early check-in. The process was painless; their staff speaking very fluent English.
 |
| MIMARU KYOTO KAWARAMACHI GOJO COFFEE AND BEVERAGE AREA |
But before heading to our room, we took some sachets of coffee (they have our favorite Doutor Coffee!), tea, creamer, and sugar at the lobby’s coffee station. Across it, I also saw board games that you can borrow for free—MIMARU living up to its name as a family-friendly hotel.
We were also informed that breakfast isn’t included in our stay, but the hotel has a local deli partner that can provide Japanese bento breakfast meals, which can be pre-ordered a day before. It can then be picked up in the hotel lobby and consumed inside your room.
THE ROOMS
 |
| APPROACHING OUR ROOM AT MIMARU |
MIMARU Kyoto Kawaramachi Gojo has a total of 96 rooms in ten different types spread across five floors. It is the largest of the four MIMARU properties in Kyoto.
Room capacity ranges from four adults and two children to eight adults and four children. Rooms at MIMARU are, indeed, huge. The interiors range from modern style to traditional Japanese and, of course, Pokémon-themed rooms. They also have accessible rooms for handicapped individuals.
WHERE WE STAYED: POKEMON ROOM
 |
| SNORLAX FOOTPRINTS AT THE MIMARU POKEMON ROOM |
We stayed on the second floor in a Pokémon room. And the look on Kid A’s face was priceless as he opened the door. He usually exclaims in "ahhs" and "wows" every time we stay at a hotel, but this time, he was totally speechless. We later asked him why, and he said he was totally overwhelmed by the Pokémon in the room; he didn’t know what to say!
 |
| ALMOST LIFE-SIZED SNORLAX AT THE MIMARU POKEMON ROOM |
There are exactly 100 colorful Pokémon of all sizes plastered on the walls and ceilings of the room. And they have a checklist, which you can use to locate each one. Poké balls are also all over the room: on the clock, the table, the plates, saucers, mugs, and the bed coverlet. And on the bed, an almost life-sized Snorlax rests. His footprints all over the carpet also add to the charm of the room.
 |
| EXCLUSIVE POKEMON GIFTS AT THE MIMARU POKEMON ROOM |
Pokémon room guests are also treated with exclusive Pokémon gifts, a Snorlax laundry bag—which you can also use as a tote bag—a Poké Ball pouch, a drawstring bag, and a sticker. The stickers come sealed in ten variants—Kid A got a Kairyu or Dragonite, which he stuck on his Pokémon card binder.
The Pokémon apartment room can accommodate four to six guests and is divided into four parts. The foyer, the kitchen, the dining area, and the sleeping area.
FOYER
The foyer has two open closets for luggage storage with a hanger bar, where you can hang your clothes and jackets with the provided hangers. These are the perfect places to park massive rolling luggage after unpacking.
 |
| WATER POKEMONS AT THE MIMARU POKEMON SHOWER ROOM |
Beside it is the toilet, which of course, has an automatic Japanese toilet. Across from it is a spacious shower room that has a vanity area and an enclosed bath. In it is a bathtub and a shower area with the walls decorated with water Pokémon. Kid A, of course, insisted on a daily bubble bath.
KITCHEN
 |
| FULL WORKING KITCHEN AT THE MIMARU POKEMON ROOM |
The apartment has a full working kitchen complete with a fridge, a microwave, an electric kettle, an induction cooktop, and a sink. Plates, cups, cutlery, and cooking utensils are also provided. However, cooking oil, salt, pepper, and other seasonings are not included.
 |
| COOKING OUR OWN BREAKFAST |
We cooked our own breakfast throughout our stay, buying packs of instant ramen, a tray of eggs, luncheon meat, and bread from the nearby Fresco grocery. What we didn’t buy was cooking oil and salt, using the stashed butter and salt from our inflight meal.
DINING AREA
 |
| THE POKEMON ROOM DINING AREA WHERE WE USUALLY HANG OUT |
Across the kitchen is a dining table, which can comfortably seat five persons. The table is quite large and is where we usually eat and hang out—the room’s flatscreen TV is located beside it. Unfortunately, the channels are quite limited and mostly Japanese. It’s also not a smart TV, so there was no way for us to switch to YouTube or Netflix, so we had to resort to using our LUMOS tablet for entertainment.
There are two electrical outlets in this area, one beside the bench set on the wall and another below the TV. The latter was quite hard to access, so we used the former for our charging stations.
 |
| MIMARU KAWARAMACHI GOJO POKEMON ROOM |
MIMARU Kyoto Kawaramachi Gojo also provides a cell phone, which they aptly call Handy. Guests can bring this with them to use as a free WiFi device, to navigate around Kyoto for sightseeing and food choices, and even to make local calls. But since we already bought an eSIM prior to our trip, we decided not to use it. If only we’d known about it before our stay!
➤ BUY AN AFFORDABLE ESIM HERE!
SLEEPING AREA
 |
| POKEMON ROOM SLEEPING AREA |
And finally, the sleeping area. The two main single beds can be combined into a king bed. Beside it is an electronic safe, and across is a double-deck bunk bed—good for both kids and adults. There’s also another closet beside it, where you can store more of your stuff.
BG and I slept on the main bed, which was combined to be a king bed, while Kid A decided he wanted to sleep on the bunk bed.
 |
| MIMARU POKEMON ROOM SLEEPING AREA |
The beds are quite comfortable; the only issue we have is that it kept separating in the middle, and we can’t seem to find if it has a lock that we can turn to keep it steady.
There is also a very narrow balcony at the farthest side of the room covered by a sliding Japanese paper door. However, I don’t think it’s meant to be used by guests since it’s too narrow.
AMENITIES
One of the things I like about MIMARU Kyoto Kawaramachi Gojo is its numerous amenities located on the ground floor hallway.
KIDS ROOM / VENDING MACHINES
 |
| MIMARU KIDS ROOM PLAYROOM |
The playroom was the first place we went to after checking in. We let Kid A play while we took photos of the rooms for our review, lol. It is actually very spacious and is padded enough to be safe for small children. There are also numerous toys on the shelves that can keep kids busy for hours.
 |
| VENDING MACHINE AREA |
Within this room are also the hotel’s vending machines. They have Nissin Cup Noodle and Suntory / Pepsi vending machines. They also have hot and cold water and ice dispensers.
ENTERTAINMENT ROOM
The entertainment room is a nice touch for a family hotel, something I have only seen at MIMARU. It has a large projector, which you can use to watch movies on floor cushions. There are also board games if you tire of watching.
FITNESS ROOM
 |
| MIMARU FITNESS ROOM |
MIMARU has a well-equipped gym with upright bikes, treadmills, adjustable benches, dual adjustable pulleys, and dumbbell sets. We’re really not gym-goers—we prefer morning walks, exploring quiet side streets while exercising. But still, it’s nice that the hotel has a gym for those wanting to work out while traveling and for rainy days when you can’t really walk around. It is open from 7:00AM to 9:00PM.
ROOFTOP ACCESS
 |
| VIEW FROM THE MIMARU KAWARAMACHI GOJO ROOFTOP |
The hotel has a rooftop that can be freely accessed by guest. While there really isn’t anything there, it has a good vantage of the city. Access is allowed until 9:00PM.
LAUNDROMAT
 |
| MIMARU COIN-OPERATED LAUNDROMAT |
If, for some reason, you were unable to bring enough clothes with you on your trip, MIMARU has a 24-hour coin-operated laundromat. Doing laundry costs ¥400 per wash cycle, while the dryer is at ¥100 for 30 minutes.
LUGGAGE STORAGE
 |
| SECURE LUGGAGE STORAGE AT MIMARU |
If you arrived too early or plan to leave your bag after checking out to explore the city, MIMARU has dedicated luggage storage where you can leave your bags in confidence. Bags are secured using steel cords that can be locked.
FREE BICYCLE USE
MIMARU has four free bicycles available for guests to use during their stay. Two of these have child seats in the back, perfect for exploring on two wheels with the whole family.
SMOKING ROOM
Smoking in public is prohibited in Kyoto, and authorities are quite strict about it. MIMARU has a 24-hour indoor windowless smoking area that uses commercial-grade tabletop smoke extractors.
LOCATION
 |
| THE NEARBY TAKASE RIVER |
MIMARU Kyoto Kawaramachi Gojo is located on the quieter side of the city.
 |
| HANGING OUT AT THE LARGER KAMO RIVER |
Within the area is the Takase River, which is a picturesque stream bordered by cafes and walkways. Two minutes away is the larger Kamo River, a nice area to hang out in the afternoons, where I usually do my morning walks. There are also numerous shrines, temples, and gardens in the vicinity.
 |
| ONE OF THE NEARBY TEMPLES |
Major tourist spots can be found north of the property; just walk along the Takase or Kamo River and you’d eventually reach the city’s shopping district. Head east, and there’s Gion and the geisha areas.
 |
| FAMILY PORTRAIT AT THE FAMOUS YASAKA PAGODA |
These are all walkable, about fifteen to thirty minutes away by foot. But if you don’t really want to walk, the hotel is three minutes away by foot from the Kiyomizu-gojo train station.
 |
| LATE LUNCH AT NAKAU, A NEARBY RESTAURANT FROM MIMARU |
There are also nearby restaurants, Nakau being the most frequented by us (affordable and tasty), and 24-hour groceries like Fresco and Lawson 100. Quite convenient, especially if you’re utilizing the kitchen.
IMPROVEMENTS AND SUGGESTIONS
 |
| MIMARU POKEMON ROOM |
Our stay at MIMARU Kyoto Kawaramachi Gojo was really enjoyable, but it’s not a perfect world. There are a few minor things I observed that can further improve the experience.
SMART TV
The TV channels are mostly in Japanese, so we were hoping to watch on YouTube or Netflix instead. Unfortunately, the TVs are not smart TVs, so we mostly used our tablet for watching shows and left the TV turned off.
BED LOCKS
While the beds are quite comfortable, it kept parting in the middle since it was two single beds combined to form a king-sized bed. I’m not sure if it has a wheel lock to keep it steady; I checked the wheels, but it was too dark to see.
ROOFTOP
MIMARU's rooftop seems under-utilized. I wish they could put a few chairs and table, grow some plants for cover, and convert it to a place where families can have breakfast or even dinner.
POKEMON CHECKLIST
I really like the idea of having a checklist for all the Pokémon creatures that can be found inside the room, but our son was a bit frustrated since there was really no way to mark the Pokémon he already found. I wish they could provide a writable checklist where guests can actually mark the Pokémon they’ve already found.
BIGGER MUGS
This is a very minor issue, and I’m almost nitpicking here, but I just wish hotels had bigger mugs. We love our coffee, and we love having lots of it in larger mugs, lol.
FINAL THOUGHTS
 |
| KID A, SPEECHLESS AT THE MIMARU POKEMON ROOM |
We had a really great time at MIMARU Kyoto Kawaramachi Gojo. The location was perfect—we love how it’s on the quieter part of the city but still near enough to the main attractions to reach them by walking. The staff are really nice, the amenities are enough, and the rooms are super spacious. The Pokémon experience is comprehensively good, an icing on the already sweet cake.
~ BIG THANKS TO MIMARU FOR HOSTING OUR STAY. VIEWS & OPINIONS ALL MINE
MIMARU KYOTO KAWARAMACHI GOJO ►ROOM RATES
Address: 17-1 Hirai-cho, Gojo-sagaru, Nishitakasegawa-suji, Shimogyo-ku, Kyoto, Japan
Contact Number: +81 (75) 744-6750
Email: kawaramachi-gojo@chm.cigr.co.jp
Website | Facebook | Instagram
GPS Map Coordinates: 34.995192, 135.766507
1 comments
Level Up Car Rental stands among the leading luxury car rental companies in the UAE, recognized for its outstanding service, premium fleet, and commitment to customer satisfaction.
ReplyDeleteOur collection features an exceptional range of the latest luxury and performance vehicles, each meticulously maintained to ensure perfection in both style and performance. From iconic brands such as Ferrari, Lamborghini, Rolls-Royce, Bentley, and McLaren, to other world-class models, every car in our fleet is designed to deliver a truly unforgettable driving experience.