Nijo-jinya (Ogawa Residence) is located just a stone’s throw from Nijo-jo Castle. It faces the street, but it is so inconspicuous that you can easily walk past it.
The Ogawa family were originally samurai, but in the Edo period they became merchants and ran a general store called Yorozuya, dealing in rice, money exchange and medicine. During the Edo period (1603-1868), it also served as a lodging house (official lodging house) for people visiting the Kyoto Magistrate’s Office for trials, and as a lodging house (headquarters) for a feudal lord who had business at Nijo-jo Castle or the Kyoto Magistrate’s Office.
Perhaps because of this, the building is a little different from other inns that provide lodging for travelers. It has a tea room, rooms in the style of a red-light district, hidden rooms and hidden passageways for evacuation. It’s almost like a ninja house.
You can take a tour with the head of the family as your guide, but you need to make a reservation in advance. There are three tours a day, and each tour is limited to 10 people. Incidentally, the name “Nijo-jinya” was given by the head of the family after it was recorded that a feudal lord had stayed there. That’s why you won’t find it listed anywhere on old maps.
Nijo-jinya
https://nijyojinya.net/english/
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