Sumiya Cultural Art Museum — Attraction in Kyoto

The first floor was okay, but I thought the real treat was the second floor where photography is not allowed. Though it’s a very old cultural house it has interior design that would impress even in a modern art museum, but made even more interesting because you can see and learn the history of the marks and impressions left behind by the people who once used the house.

I’m not sure if they have English guides. When I went we joined the Japanese tour and the one foreign tourist was just given a paper with English on it. There was one staff that occasionally explained things to him on the side.

I recommend visiting on a sunny day. You can sit and imagine how life felt in the house...

Experience traditional tea house where Maiko and Geiko of Kyoto once held large parties. The building and it’s art collection is amazing. You enter and get to see where samurai swords were kept, where the cooking was done and such. After you get to see the tea rooms and garden. There is a tour but it’s all in Japanese. You can photograph everything except the treasured objects (glasses in the cases) and the artwork in the...

This place is very cool and actually important to the area. You can't take photos of the 2nd floor, but it's still worth going up to both floors. It costs 1,800 yen for both floors. There are bag lockers and shoe lockers. Wear socks because you will have to...