Right at the edge of Shimogamo shrine is this former vacation villa of Mitsui, one of the four rich financial clique family around Meiji era of Japan. The house was build to host family visitors who were to visit a shrine for their ancesters built just nearby.
Then conglomerates like Mitsui were broken up after WW II, and this villa was surrendered to the government. It was long used as a housing for Chief Justice, but it became too dated for normal use. So, this villa was made into a historic site to view a precious example of luxurious architecture in Meiji-Taisho era, where functionality and aethetics coexist. It's been just five years since this place was publicly open to visitors.
We went up to the 2nd and 3rd floors that are usually closed but open for limited weeks a year. There was a hidden library between 2nd and 3rd floor, invisible from the garden in front. The stairs to go up were hidden too behind a fusuma paper wall.
The stairs were so steep and steps narrow. Old houses tend to have stairs like that. Not safe at all!
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