Guided Architectural Tour of a Former Imperial Family Property in Kyoto – Japanese Sweets Included

Yoshida Sanso, a Registered Cultural Property Built as an Imperial Family Villa

Located in Kyoto’s Sakyo Ward, Yoshida Sanso is a ryokan restaurant-inn with a history spanning nearly a century, originally constructed in 1932 as a Kyoto villa for the brother-in-law of Emperor Hirohito, Jigo Higashi-fushimi. The facility was converted to a luxury inn shortly after WWII, in 1948.

The exterior of the main structure, whose traditional Japanese construction attracts many visitors

Yoshida Sanso’s main building, front gate, and garage are nationally listed tangible cultural properties of Japan. The august main building is made from hinoki (Japanese cypress), with roof tiles emblazoned with the uragikumon chrysanthemum rear crest associated with the imperial family, attesting to a high-born legacy. Whereas the building’s exterior is brimming with purely traditional charm, its interior is a delicate synthesis of Japanese and Western styles, featuring stained glass and antiques evocative of the legacy of the imperial family. Its elegant garden also offers a soothing communion with the beauty of Japan’s seasons.

Finding the imperial family’s uragikumon chrysanthemum rear crest in small details is a fascinating part of the tour

Located in a separate structure, the ryokan’s Cafe Shinkokan is a popular spot not only for overnight guests but for the many visitors who make special trips just to enjoy its atmosphere. From the cafe’s seats unfold sweeping views of the three-story pagoda of Shinsho Gokurakuji temple, a nationally listed important cultural property. This is truly a space of singular luxury.

From Cafe Shinkokan’s windows, enjoy views that change with the seasons

A Special Facility Tour with the Okami’s Hospitality 

This Wabunka exclusive experience is centered on a tour of Yoshida Sanso’s main building led by its okami (matriarch and general manager) Tomoko Nakamura, normally only offered to guests staying at the hotel or restaurant patrons. Enjoy a close-up look at the karamon gate and traditional Japanese exterior architecture including the all-hinoki roof.

Fascinating stories of the facility’s past, in a first floor guest room overlooking the elegant garden

Yoshida Sanso features a unique stained glass installation representing a chokkomonkyo – an iconic kind of Japanese bronze mirror found in archaeological sites from the 3rd to 6th Centuries. Enjoy revealing commentary about this and other details of the hotel design down to the windows, antique furniture, and traditional shoin drawing room used by Higashi-fushimi himself. Discover the depth and intricacy of this highly formal design style.

Japanese design incorporated into Western-style stained glass in the entryway’s decor

Walking the rooms of the facility while the okami talks you through the highlights and secrets of this important cultural property is a chance to feel the power of its nearly century-long history. Take the chance to ask any questions that come to mind. (Exact tour contents vary.)

A second floor room filled with antique furniture attesting to the building’s history

A Gorgeous Garden Stroll under Kyoto’s Mountains

After the main building, enjoy a Wabunka-exclusive amble through the elegant Japanese garden backdropped by the Higashiyama mountains. Lovely weeping cherry blossoms, autumn foliage, pines, azaleas, rhododendrons and many other botanical varieties add brilliant accents to each season.

Breathe deep and find solace in the immaculately-maintained garden

A keen ear is apt to hear the cries of such wild birds as bush warblers and warbling white-eyes. You might even be treated to an appearance by one or two such feathered friends swooping down for a bath alongside families of raccoons relaxing. Bask in the tranquility of nature, a world apart from the daily grind without ever leaving central Kyoto.

Lose track of time amidst sun-dappled greenery and a symphony of wild birds and insect life

Elegant Tea Time at a Period Style Cafe in the Villa’s Renovated Garage

When you’ve had your fill of the garden, proceed to the ryokan’s on-site Cafe Shinkokan, a western-style tea salon renovated from the former villa’s garage above a first-floor gallery. The space is unforgettably cozy and attracts many repeat visitors. Enjoy Wabunka exclusive Japanese sweets in this reservation-only space.

A cozy space filled with wood’s warmth

The second floor is filled with the warmth of wood decor and furnishings, with windows like wood-framed paintings showcasing russet and aureate foliage in autumn or fresh greenery in spring, dappling the room in soft soothing sunlight. Each seat offers a different sightline on this natural beauty (seating choices may be limited). 

Waka poems calligraphed by the senior okami add a unique accent to tea time

Special Wabunka-exclusive Japanese sweets and tea are accompanied by a waka poem written in traditional hentaigana calligraphy by the senior okami (okami's mother), taken in an old-fashioned Western-style tea parlor with an atmosphere distinct from the main building.

Experience the Beauty of Kyoto and the Sensibilities of the Imperial Family 

When the experience is complete, take home Cafe Shinkokan’s beloved original bat-shaped subtly cinnamon-tinged komori biscuits made from domestically grown wheat and kudzu arrowroot, along with a Japanese-patterned clear file emblazoned with the poems of ancient nobles, as souvenirs.

Noble elegance in design

Let yourself be transported as you pass through the entrance gates of Yoshida Sanso. Says the okami Nakamura: “My pleasure is sharing with others the simple joys of the seasons surrounded by beautiful objects.” You’re sure to be moved by the precious opportunity to feel firsthand that passion for hospitality and refined serenity in this historic venue associated with Japan’s imperial family.

Take some of the cafe’s beloved bat-shaped komori biscuits as a souvenir