Stone monument at the front gate of Kyoto Sanjo Haku

This monument attests to the fact that Takechi Hanpeita, a royalist of the Meiji Restoration period, once lived here.

Wooden signboard donated by Superintendent of Education Kyoto City

This signboard explains that Tantora was a luxurious restaurant that stood apart from the other buildings of the Shikokuya tavern in the mid-1800s and also served as the base of activities of Sonno Joi ha (exclusionist imperialists) from the province of Tosa (modern-day Kochi Prefecture). The signboard was likely donated to Kincharyou, the previous incarnation of Kyoto Sanjo Haku.

Earthen wall discovered during reconstruction

The wall shows an outline of what is believed to be a hidden staircase made of boxes of different widths and heights to aid the escape of Takechi Hanpeita from Shinsengumi swordsmen. Some say he climbed to the top and escaped, while others maintain that he fled to the thick reeds of the Kamo River. Either way, this wall speaks to the urgency of the circumstances then.

The alcove in the room where Takechi Hanpeita actually lived

The alcove appears as it did when this room of three mats (nearly 5 m2) was inhabited by Takechi Hanpeita, who was roughly 180 cm tall. Fellow royalist Sakamoto Ryoma likely visited this very room to discuss the future of Japan with Takechi. The alcove features a hanging scroll with text written by Sakamoto himself. The alcove pillar is made of nandina bamboo more than 400 years old, and the alcove floorboards are made of Japanese maple. Such fine wood is unavailable today.

Hanging scrolls with text handwritten by royalists of the Meiji Restoration

The alcove of each private dining room features hanging scrolls with text handwritten by Sakamoto Ryoma, Takasugi Shinsaku, Katsura Kogoro, Sanjo Sanetomi, Fukuzawa Yukichi, and other royalists from the 1860s.

Folding screen painted by Kano Chikanobu

Kano Chikanobu (1660–1728) was a painter whose career spanned the early and middle parts of the Edo period (1603–1868). He was the third leader of the Kobiki-cho Kano family, one of the four most prestigious families of artists appointed by the shogun. It is said that he taught Tokugawa Yoshimune, the eighth shogun, how to paint. This folding screen is a Chinese-style painting.

During the full renovation, the beams of the entryway were refashioned using period materials that were still in good shape, connecting everyone who visits to centuries-old history.

These dining rooms overlooking the Kamo River offer views of Kyoto unique to each season.

These dining rooms look out onto a garden created by world-renowned garden designer Kazuyuki Ishihara. Your time in these extraordinary spaces is punctuated by the sound of flowing water. Some dining rooms have sunken floors under the tables to allow guests to sit with their legs relaxed and heated in the winter.

The terrace seats overlooking the Kamo River are only open to one group per day. The terrace offers views of the Sanjo Ohashi Bridge and the Shogunzuka Seiryuden Temple.