Ōhashi-ke（大橋家庭園）
Historic private garden in Fushimi Inari with Kyoto’s oldest Suikinkutsu The Ōhashi-ke garden lies quietly in the Fushimi Inari area of southern Kyoto. Although small, it offers a rare feature: Japan’s oldest Suikinkutsu (水琴窟), a hidden water instrument that creates delicate sounds. A Suikinkutsu is a jar buried under a basin. As water drips through […]
Nishimura-ke and Umetsuji-ke （西村家 梅辻家 社家町）
Historic priest residences near Kamigamo Shrine in Kyoto The Nishimura and Umetsuji residences are traditional homes in Kyoto, once inhabited by priests of Kamigamo Shrine. These houses belong to a special category called Shake (社家)—residences of hereditary Shinto priest families. In the past, it was common for the role of head priest to be passed […]