Sumiya is an ageya (restaurant/feast facility) that once operated in Kyoto’s Shimabara red-light district (present-day Shimogyo Ward, Kyoto City). Its building has been designated as a national important cultural property. It has been open to the public as the Sumiya Hospitality Culture Museum since 2011. Currently, only the first floor is open to the public. Advance reservations are required to tour the second floor. You can take photos only on the first floor.
During the Edo period, this was a place for literary arts such as waka and haiku, and also served as a cultural salon. Also, at the end of the Edo period, forces both pro- and anti-shogunate, such as the Shinsengumi, held meetings here.
Nearby spots of Sumiya
Wachigaiya is within a few minutes walk. But Wachigaiya is usually closed to the public.
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[…] only surviving ageya, Sumiya, is open to the public. Advance reservations are required to tour the second […]