Goryūkaku

Goryūkaku (五龍閣) is a historic Western-style villa in Higashiyama-ku, Kyoto, Japan, located beside the Kiyomizu-zaka slope near Kiyomizu-dera temple. Designed by the architect Takeda Goichi, the building was completed in 1921 (Taishō 10) as the residence of Kajō Matsukaze, a Meiji-era entrepreneur who had expanded a Kiyomizu-yaki kiln business into an international enterprise producing Western tableware, insulators, and ceramic teeth. The villa was originally the Western wing of a combined Japanese-and-Western residence, and its design blends Japanese and Western elements, including tiled roofs with irimoya and kirizuma styles, stained-glass arched windows, and a three-story open stairwell that once displayed oil paintings by the Kyoto Western-style painter Kanokogi Takeshirō, for whom Matsukaze served as friend and patron. In 1999 the building was registered as a national Registered Tangible Cultural Property of Japan. It later passed to the tofu restaurant Junsei, and in 2009 it was reborn as a café. Today it operates as CAFE Goryūkaku, a café restaurant run by Junsei Co., Ltd., offering visitors a rest stop during walks around Kiyomizu-dera, Ninenzaka, and Sannenzaka. The café serves a special "Goryūkaku Blend" developed with Sarutahiko Coffee, a specialty coffee roaster from Ebisu, Tokyo, along with homemade pound cake and other light fare. The interior retains its antique stained glass and period fittings, and the building is promoted as a place where "the threads of time weave Kyoto's memories." The café is open from 11:00 to 17:00 (hours subject to change, irregular holidays), and is located at 239 Kiyomizu-dera Monzen 2-chome, Higashiyama-ku, Kyoto. It is about a 15-minute walk from Kiyomizu-dera, about 5 minutes from Ninenzaka and Sannenzaka, and about 10 minutes from Yasaka Shrine. The nearest train station is Keihan Main Line Kiyomizu-Gojō Station, roughly a 17-minute walk away. Goryūkaku is also known by the alternative names Kyū-Matsukaze Kajō-tei (former Matsukaze Kajō residence) and Yumeji Cafe Goryūkaku.

Goryūkaku was completed in 1921 (Taishō 10) as the Western-style wing of a combined Japanese-and-Western residence for Kajō Matsukaze, a Meiji-era entrepreneur. Matsukaze had developed a Kiyomizu-yaki kiln business into an international enterprise manufacturing Western tableware, insulators, and ceramic teeth. The building was designed by Takeda Goichi, founder of the Department of Architecture at Kyoto Imperial University, who had studied in England and incorporated new architectural trends such as Art Nouveau and Secessionism into his designs. Goryūkaku features a mix of Japanese and Western tiled roofs, including irimoya and kirizuma styles, and an interior with stained-glass arched windows. Its central three-story open stairwell, once decorated with oil paintings by the Kyoto Western-style painter Kanokogi Takeshirō, gave the building the atmosphere of a three-dimensional gallery; Matsukaze was a friend and patron of Kanokogi, and the residence also served as a gallery. In 1999 (Heisei 11), the building was registered as a national Registered Tangible Cultural Property. It was later inherited by the tofu restaurant Junsei, and in 2009 it was reborn as a café. Today it operates as CAFE Goryūkaku, a café restaurant run by Junsei Co., Ltd., and continues to be enjoyed by many visitors for its artistic scenery. The café serves a special "Goryūkaku Blend" developed with Sarutahiko Coffee, a specialty coffee shop from Ebisu, Tokyo, using 100% direct-trade high-quality coffee, along with homemade pound cake. The building is also known as the former Matsukaze Kajō residence and Yumeji Cafe Goryūkaku.

• 2009

  Reborn as a café after being inherited by the tofu restaurant Junsei.

• 1999

  Registered as a national Registered Tangible Cultural Property of Japan.

• 1921

  Goryūkaku completed as the Western-style wing of Kajō Matsukaze's residence, designed by Takeda Goichi.

A historic Taishō-era Western-style villa and Registered Tangible Cultural Property repurposed as a café, offering a blend of Kyoto history, architecture, and specialty coffee near Kiyomizu-dera.

• Goryūkaku Blend

  Specialty coffee blend developed with Sarutahiko Coffee, using 100% direct-trade high-quality beans.

• Homemade pound cake

  Rich pound cake made with carefully selected ingredients, recommended with coffee.

1. 1CAFE五龍閣 | 時の糸に紡がれた京の記憶、五龍閣で。goryukaku.com
2. 2五龍閣について | CAFE五龍閣goryukaku.com
3. 3五龍閣物語 | CAFE五龍閣goryukaku.com
4. 4Goryūkaku - Wikidatawikidata.org
5. 5五龍閣 - Wikipedia (Japanese)ja.wikipedia.org