The Tomori House

Your nights, however you use them.

Choose how many nights you want every yearChoose your ownership

shares · 7 nights a year

$14,000

The whole Tomori House

7a week30a month, on title90a season365the whole house

Contractual ownership · 9 months booking window

Booking opens nine months ahead at this size. Up to 365 shares in this house.

or type

Every share is $2,000, paid once, and gives you one night in the whole house every year, for as long as you hold the share. Nothing renews.

Stay yourself, or let kessaku rent the night when you are away. The shares stay yours either way.

Choose how to use your nights

4 your stays3 available to rent

4 nights to stay yourself

Potential accommodation savings

$1,400 a year

based on comparable Kyoto stays at $350 a night, an assumption you can change

3 nights available to rent

Projected cash payout

$286 to $362 a year

expected case · paid by 31 January

Using or renting a night does not reduce your ownership. Your 7 shares remain yours.

01Your unused nights remain available to rent
02A guest books and stays
03Rental year ends 31 December
04USD payout arrives by 31 January

Your unused nights remain available to rentA guest books and staysRental year ends 31 DecemberYour payout arrives by 31 January

Have a question about the numbers?

Every share is real ownership.

A share is a permanent co-ownership stake in this house, issued once and held for as long as you like. It is not a membership that renews and not a booking that expires. kessaku runs the house entirely for you: cleaning, utilities, maintenance and insurance, with a reserve maintained from operations for future repairs, and the property-level accounting, licensing and filings handled on your behalf.

	1 to 29 shares	30 shares and above
Annual nights	✓	✓
Rental participation	✓	✓
Transferable interest	✓	✓
Booking window	9 months	12 months
Ownership held as	Contractual	Registered
Name on the land and building title	–	✓

1 to 29 shares

Contractual ownership

One night per share, every year
Rental participation
Transferable
9 months booking window

30+ shares

Registered ownership

Everything above, plus
your name registered on the land and building title
12 months booking window

Considering an allocation?

The Buyer Brief brings the ownership structure, fees, projected rental method, booking rules, exit terms and important considerations together in one place, with the agreement summarised in plain language.

Drawing no. 1, the plan of the house you would hold a share of.

And when life changes.

Sell to the next owner.

Your shares can be sold on to another buyer at a price you agree, and kessaku manages the approval, the paperwork and the transfer from start to finish.

The owner marketplace, 2027.

A dedicated marketplace for listing shares to future buyers arrives alongside the first operating year, beginning with the waitlists of houses that found all their owners.

Or simply keep them.

Your annual nights reset at the start of each calendar year for as long as you hold the shares, and the house is cared for either way.

1917

Standing since 1917.

1917The house was built as a Kyoto machiya, its rooms arranged along the narrow depth of the site from street to garden. The toriniwa passage carried movement through the house, while the hibukuro opened upward above it, bringing air and light deep into the plan. More than a century later, that spatial rhythm remains the starting point for Tomori.
2026The house was reimagined as Tomori: a three-bedroom Kyoto residence shaped around the gentle presence of light. Glass, shoji, timber and stone reinterpret the language of the machiya, while the original depth of the house, the toriniwa passage and the open hibukuro remain legible within the new plan. The result is not a recreation of the past, but a house designed for another century of use.

The house was built as a Kyoto machiya, its rooms arranged along the narrow depth of the site from street to garden. The toriniwa passage carried movement through the house, while the hibukuro opened upward above it, bringing air and light deep into the plan. More than a century later, that spatial rhythm remains the starting point for Tomori.

The house was reimagined as Tomori: a three-bedroom Kyoto residence shaped around the gentle presence of light. Glass, shoji, timber and stone reinterpret the language of the machiya, while the original depth of the house, the toriniwa passage and the open hibukuro remain legible within the new plan. The result is not a recreation of the past, but a house designed for another century of use.

See how that history lives in the house today.

The Tomori House, in depth

The house unfolds in layers of timber, shoji and light.

Made completely new inside the original cedar frame

Shoji light and the open void connect both levels.

Timber, stone and softened light.

The old frame remains visible through the heart of the house.

A small garden draws light into the centre of the plan.

The dining room looks directly into the garden.

A quiet bedroom shaped by timber and filtered light.

Shoji and open space connect the rooms upstairs.

A quiet bedroom of dark timber and crafted cabinetry.

Tatami, shoji and the proportions of the original house.

The plan.

Built in 1917, the house retains the spatial logic of a traditional Kyoto machiya: a toriniwa passage drawing you from the street toward the garden, and the hibukuro rising open through the house above it. Around that original rhythm, the plan has been reworked as a three-bedroom residence for the way owners stay in Kyoto today, with more privacy and flexibility for families, friends and longer visits, without losing the depth and intimacy of the original townhouse.

Floor plan, drawing no. 1.

Higashiyama, where Kyoto still glows softly.

Tomori sits in Higashiyama, one of Kyoto’s most atmospheric cultural districts, among temple streets, old houses and the narrow lanes that inspired the home itself. It is a part of Kyoto best understood slowly: on foot in the morning, back through the neighbourhood at dusk, and from a house that feels private once the door closes. Designed for owners who return often, Tomori is less a place to visit Kyoto from than a place to live with the city for a few days at a time.

Approximate location, Higashiyama, Kyoto.

HigashiyamaTemple streets, old lanes and some of Kyoto’s most enduring neighbourhoods

On footTofuku-ji, Sennyu-ji and the quieter southern Higashiyama temple quarter

15 minKyoto Station, keeping the house connected without feeling central

Everything in the house.

The Property

Private garden
Japanese soaking tub
Tatami rooms
Near public transit

Kitchen

Kitchenette with appliances
Refrigerator
Microwave
Electric kettle & toaster
Dishes & utensils

Comfort & Bedroom

Air conditioning
Premium linens & towels
Extra pillows & blankets
Hangers

Bathroom

Full bath amenity kit
Hairdryer
Bidet

Essentials

High-speed Wi-Fi
Smart lock entry
Washer
Iron
Umbrellas provided
Vacuum cleaner

Safety

Smoke detector
Fire extinguisher

What was kept, and what was made new.

The Tomori House Kyoto is a three-bedroom residence in Higashiyama, inspired by the soft ambient light of Kyoto’s old streets.

The concept begins with tomori: the gentle presence of light. At dusk, Kyoto’s old streets are not brightly illuminated. They glow through paper screens, narrow windows, timber lattices, and the spaces between buildings. This house brings that atmosphere inward, creating a residence where light is not decoration, but the central material.

The design reinterprets the language of the machiya through glass, shoji, timber, stone, and soft indirect light. The result is a home that feels open yet private, contemporary yet rooted, refined yet deeply calm.

The revised three-bedroom layout reflects how owners want to use a Kyoto home today. It offers greater flexibility for families, friends, and longer stays, while preserving the intimacy and rhythm of a traditional townhouse. Each room is composed to feel restful, with glass and shoji softly dividing space without losing depth or connection.

Set in Higashiyama, one of Kyoto’s most atmospheric cultural districts, The Tomori House Kyoto is designed as a private base for those who return to Kyoto not simply to visit, but to live with the city for a few days at a time.

A house of glass, shoji, and old Kyoto light.

Buyer Brief

The Tomori House · Higashiyama, Kyoto

Everything worth knowing before you request an allocation.

The signed Co-owner Terms govern. This brief summarises the relevant clauses in plain language and cites them.

$2,000: per share, paid once
1 share: one night in the whole house, every year
April 2027: first owner stays
30+ shares: Registered ownership · 12 months booking window
$100: current cleaning fee when you stay
31 January: annual rental payout deadline

6 homes have already found their owners

How buying works

Request allocationNo payment today. Your request is reviewed before an allocation is confirmed.
Allocation confirmedkessaku confirms availability and sends the agreement.
Invoice and transferYou approve the invoice and pay by bank transfer in US dollars.
Shares confirmedYour account opens, and stays can be booked from April 2027 onward.

Ownership

What one share carries

Annual use: One night in the whole house, every year, for as long as you hold it
Rental participation: A proportionate share of any rental payout
Transfer: Transferable to another buyer with kessaku's approval

How registration changes

1 to 29 shares: Contractual ownership under the kessaku co-ownership agreement · 9 months booking window
30+ shares: Registered ownership: the same ownership rights, plus registration on the land and building title in your own name · 12 months booking window
365 shares: Full ownership of the house is reserved to the holder of all shares; the transfer is arranged personally

kessaku manages the house and does not hold owners' shares. kessaku does not mortgage the property or use it as security for financing.

Art. 3 and 6

Fees

When you stay: $100 current cleaning fee per stayMay adjust within the agreement's cap of 10% a year on ninety days' notice
When a night you made available is rented: 15% kessaku management fee and property operating costsDeducted from gross guest revenue before any owner payout
When you sell: 10% transfer commission
Every year, for owning: $0 annual owner dues

What counts as property operating costs?

Cleaning between guests, utilities, repairs, insurance, local taxes, and the contribution to a reserve maintained through the house's operations. Major repairs are managed through the property's insurance and reserve fund rather than special repair contributions from owners; damage an owner causes during a stay remains that owner's responsibility. Property insurance includes earthquake and natural-disaster cover, and the insurance schedule is available for review.

Art. 7, 9 and 10

Rental income

What happens: Nights you have not booked remain in the rental pool automatically; kessaku rents them as whole-house stays under the house's hotel business licence. Rental income is not guaranteed.
When you are paid: The rental year closes 31 December. Your annual payout follows by 31 January, in US dollars, to a bank account in any country; your bank may convert it and charge for doing so.First rental year closes 31 December 2027. First payout follows by 31 January 2028.
How it is calculated: Gross guest revenue, less property operating costs, less kessaku's 15% management fee, distributed to owners in proportion to their unused nights.
Current projections: Expected case: $300 guest rate, 60% occupancy, operating costs modelled at 18% to 32% of gross.

Projections are not operating history; Tomori opens in April 2027. Accommodation value and cash payout are never added together, and resale value is not forecast.

Tax and reporting

kessaku handles property-level accounting, any required Japanese withholding, and provides an annual statement of your payout. You file your own return in your country of residence.

Art. 7.2 and 20

Booking

1 to 29 sharesBook from 9 months before arrival

30+ sharesBook from 12 months before arrival

First come, first served inside the window
High-demand dates such as cherry blossom and autumn foliage can fill early; holdings of 30 or more shares receive the longer 12 months window
Your annual nights reset at the start of each calendar year. Personal-use nights do not roll into the following year; nights you have not booked remain available to rent during the current year, and no cleaning fee is charged for a night you do not use
Cancellations made at least fourteen days before arrival are free and restore the allocated nights; later cancellations follow the booking's cancellation policy

Art. 7 and 9

Exit

You choose: A buyer and an agreed price
kessaku handles: Approval, paperwork and the transfer
Transfer cost: 10% commission
Marketplace: An owner marketplace for listing shares arrives in 2027

The agreement recommends holding for approximately three years and does not prohibit an earlier transfer
Future resale value may be higher or lower than the purchase price
Separately, the whole property may be sold if at least half of the owners agree under kessaku's owner-approval process

Art. 10

Important considerations

The points worth understanding before you request an allocation.

Rental income: Tomori opens in April 2027, so the figures shown are projections rather than operating history. The assumptions are shown openly in the planner so you can see exactly how they are calculated.
Resale: Your shares are transferable to another buyer, subject to kessaku's approval. The owner marketplace planned for 2027 is designed to make listing shares easier. As with any resale, the future selling price is not guaranteed and may be above or below your original purchase price.
Ownership below 30 shares: 1 to 29 shares are held as contractual ownership under the kessaku co-ownership agreement. At 30 shares, registration on the land and building title is added.
If kessaku cannot operate: Your ownership does not disappear if kessaku can no longer operate. The property would either continue under a new operator, with owners retaining their shares, or be sold, with the sale proceeds distributed to owners in proportion to their shares.
Booking: Bookings are first come, first served within your booking window. High-demand dates such as cherry blossom and autumn foliage can fill early; holdings of 30+ shares receive the longer 12 months booking window.
Fees and currency: Fee changes are subject to the caps and notice periods set out in the agreement. Purchases and payouts settle in US dollars, so owners whose home currency is different should account for exchange-rate movements.

Art. 7, 9, 10 and 11

Ready when you are

Nothing is paid when you request an allocation.

Book a call

Still have a question? or message us on WhatsApp. You'll hear directly from the kessaku team.

Write to us

Have a question about Tomori, ownership or an allocation? Send us a message and you'll hear directly from the kessaku team. For anything better said out loud, book a call.

Request your allocation

The Tomori House · Higashiyama, Kyoto

7 shares · 7 nights a year, for as long as you hold them

$14,000

1 · Shares2 · Details3 · Review

shares · 7 nights a year

$14,000

The whole Tomori House

7a week30a month, on title90a season365the whole house

Booking opens nine months ahead at this size. Up to 365 shares in this house.

or type

No payment today. Your request is reviewed personally before an allocation is confirmed, and you approve the invoice before anything is paid.Each share is issued once.

Given name(s)

Family name

HouseThe Tomori House
Shares, permanent7
Your nights, every year7 nights a year
Requested by·
Total, one time, in US dollars$14,000

Confirming sends the request for review. Payment is by bank transfer in US dollars after your allocation is confirmed and you approve the invoice.

Request sent.

✓

Request receivedYour 7 shares have been requested. Availability is confirmed when the request is reviewed.

Allocation confirmedWe confirm availability and send the agreement.

Invoice and transferYou approve the invoice and pay by bank transfer in US dollars.

The shares are yoursYour account opens, and your first stay can be booked for April 2027 onward.

Questions? Book a call

The house unfolds in layers of timber, shoji and light.

Made completely new inside the original cedar frame

Shoji light and the open void connect both levels.

Timber, stone and softened light.

Your nights, however you use them.

The whole house, every time.

Every share is real ownership.

And when life changes.

Standing since 1917.

Behind Tomori.

The kessaku collection.

Ask anything about owning here.

Take your shares of the Tomori House Kyoto.

The plan.

Higashiyama, where Kyoto still glows softly.

Everything in the house.

What was kept, and what was made new.

Everything worth knowing before you request an allocation.

Ownership

Fees

Rental income

Booking

Exit

Important considerations

The whole house is a conversation.

Request sent.

The Tomori House

The house unfolds in layers of timber, shoji and light.

Made completely new inside the original cedar frame

Shoji light and the open void connect both levels.

Timber, stone and softened light.

One share is $2,000. One night, every year, for as long as you hold it.

Your nights, however you use them.

The whole house, every time.

Every share is real ownership.

And when life changes.

Standing since 1917.

Behind Tomori.

The kessaku collection.

Ask anything about owning here.

Take your shares of the Tomori House Kyoto.