HISTORY
~200-year-old Historical Ryokan invites you to the nostalgic sentiment
of the Samurai's Period~
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Ikumatsu was built in 1810 as an antechamber of the Choshu Domain (Yamaguchi
prefecture at present). Situated between the two rivers that represent
Kyoto, the Takase and Kamo, the ryokan stands quietly at the centre of
Kyoto where the streets are elegantly lined with willow trees. Although
this location is peaceful at present, it was bustling with the clansmen
of Satsuma and Choshu at the time of the closing days of the Tokugawa Shogunate
toward the Meiji Restoration.
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| Dwelling Site of Ikumatsu and Katsura |
Takayoshi Kido (Kogoro Katsura, 1833-1877), a veteran statesman of Imperial
Restoration of Meiji, is well known to have played a vital role as an advocator
of overthrowing the Shogunate. The ryokan Ikumatsu then served as the General
Staff Office of Restoration, and was also a temporary dwelling of Ikumatsu
and Katsura. The room where they lived under frequent attacks made by the
Shogunate side is still well preserved in this ryokan. The ryokan remains
as one of time-honored landmarks in Kyoto.
Ikumatsu, born in Wakasa Obama (northern Kyoto), came to Kyoto at the age of 8,
and then became a popular Geiko (apprentice Geisha) at Kyoto’s Sanbongi. It is
said that Ikumatsu got acquainted with Katsura around the year of Bunkyu. The
scent of reminiscence that delicately floats in this ryokan enables you to
extend your thoughts to their romance that bloomed during the upheaval.
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| ROOM IKUMATSU |
The well-preserved old dwelling of Ikumatsu and Katsura. This room also
served as an antechamber of the Choshu clan. It is worth saying that the
Meiji Restoration of Imperial Rule accomplished with the existence of this
room. There is a trick allowing a 750kg stone hidden in the ceiling and
also there are networks of various secret paths and escape holes spreading
all about, which were set up as countermeasures for frequent attacks made
by the Shogunate side. The room Ikumatsu has been registered as a tangible
cultural property.
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