Kyu Asakura House — Attraction in Tokyo

The house and the grounds are really lovely, and make for a nice history lesson. I visited in late September, on what turned out to be a very hot, humid day. Along with that, although the gardens were great to look at, they were also packed with mosquitoes and we didn't manage to stay very long. So I would recommend late autumn to early spring for a more comfortable visit, or just check the forecast if you're a local. Also, many rooms in the building aren't in original Taisho-period condition-- you'll see a fair number of dingy carpets and circa-1980s doors. It detracts from the experience, just a little.

Overall worth a visit, especially on a cool day, and if you're interested in Taisho period Tokyo. But if you've got the time to go to Kyoto, I'd say the examples of traditional Japanese architecture there are more remarkable (Nijo Palace and Ryoanji in particular). The Asakura house is remarkable half because it's a nice buildings and half because it's an extreme rarity in Tokyo- a wood building that...

We decided to do something a little less touristy and struck off to see this beautiful home while we were in the Shibuya area.

Inside we had to remove our shoes. Arrows pointed us in the direction of the self-tour. The creaking floors followed us. The rooms were simple with tatami mats and beautifully decorated sliding doors. Almost every room had nice views of the garden.

We were able to visit both the first & second floors of the house and were a little surprised to see urinals inside one of the bathrooms. A good number of signage was peppered throughout the house in both English and Japanese and helped provide very good explanations of the history, features, and design of the house.

The garden was well manicured close to the home but some work was needed the closer we got to the edge of the property.

A small open-air garage was located near the front next to the visitor bathrooms.

A bargain to visit at only 100...

A very peaceful and quiet traditional 2-level Japanese house near Shibuya for an entrance ticket of 100¥. I was there on a Sunday and only a few others.

Typical to Japanese culture, be prepared to take off your shoes when entering the house. The space and elegant furnishing of the interior adds to the serenity of the home.

Love how the windows and doors of the interior are intentionally design to connect with the exterior garden and sunlight. I can feel my whole person quiet down with deeper and slower breathing as I walk through the space.

The garden is worth spending some time too just to take in the tranquility of the atmosphere. At certain points where the boundary of the garden is near to popular shops outside, the chatter and noise can be heard but still not much disturbance to the peace within.

Worth a visit when around the area...