Circus Coffee: This shop is located in a 100year old machiya townhouse that was originally a tea store in the Murasakino area where the owner grew up. The shop roasts specialty coffee beans obtained from all over the world and sells 20 types of coffee, mainly dark roasts. Workshops are also offered to share their appeal.
Sugimoto House and Garden 杉本家住宅・杉本氏庭園: This is the former Naraya fabric store and residence established in 1743. It has been preserved and opened to the public as an example of a large-scale kyomachiya townhouse with a scenic garden.apan). “The kyomachiya townhouses of Kyoto represent the mindset of the Japanese people,” says Setsuko Sugimoto. Born and raised in Sugimoto House, she works as director of the foundation. “Japan has four distinct seasons, and the residents of Kyoto, in particular, value living side-by-side with this ever-changing nature. This is clear even from the aspect of their artwork. It is also the same with their homes. Kyomachiya townhouses are made from wood and earth. Both, of which, are products of nature. Additionally, because gardens surround the living areas in the Sugimoto House, visitors can feel a natural breeze by simply opening the traditional shoji paper sliding doors.” See the open days and times on the website.
The bamboo curtain, called Sudare, helps to create circulation of air to cool the house in hot, humid Kyoto summers. It also plays the role of a sunshade and a blind.
Chuo Oroshiuri Ichiba 京都市中央卸売市場: Traditional fish market. Wape up early enough an experience the tuna auction at 5am. View the freshly caught fish and customers lining up to get the best piece. There is also a fruit section and you can get kyo-kasai, Kyoto-grown vegetables.
Sumiya 角屋: Damien Douxchamps has published a fine description, what follows, is an extract of his text: The neighbourhood of Shimabara has changed considerably since the glory days of the Edo period (1603~1868) when it was one of the geisha districts ("hanamachi") of Kyoto. All business stopped in 1958 when prostitution was "officially" outlawed in Japan. A hidden gem remained: the Sumiya, built in 1641. It is one of the finest, if not the finest example of the ageya architecture in Japan and a National Treasuren. Ageya were not brothels, but rather upper-class establishments where guests could eat and drink while being entertained by geishas who sing, danced and also performed tea ceremony. A haiku group called the "Shimabara Haidan" also used the Sumiya as their meeting place, and some of their original works are preserved here. Important politicians of the Meiji restoration also met here. The first room you reach is the massive kitchen, the largest room in the house. The "umbrellas" hanging from the ceiling were used to gather the greasy smoke from oil vats. Note also the small staircase with its integrated drawers, another classic example of traditional architecture. Leaving the kitchen one reaches the entrance hall were guests would arrive. There is a sword hanger. Guests put their sword when they arrived; the weapons would then be labelled and safely stored in a nearby special cabinet in the kitchen. From this hall one can reach a waiting room (now with some exhibits) and, on the left, the rest of the house. The upper floor is also accessed from a hidden staircase in this hall. On the ground floor, a corridor leads to a small inner courtyard with a Japanese garden with a couple of lanterns and a small water basin. A small bamboo platform extends to reach the latter; the piece of wood that surrounds the bamboo was naturally bent. On the right is a large room with an interesting ceiling: its beams are all made of a single piece of wood. Some large columns in the kitchen are also monuments to a distant past when Japan still had large old trees. The hallway on the left of the small garden leads to a large room, comparable to the hondo of a temple. The room overlooks a garden with a very old pine tree. In the back of the garden is a tea house. The large room itself has impressive fusuma (painted sliding doors), covered with gold leaves and decorated with peacock paintings. Read more on Traditional Kyoto.
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