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-ke 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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