Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
The museum is home to a collection of artefacts and memorabilia tracing the 350-year
history of Gekkeikan and the sake-brewing process. Giant murals depicting traditional
methods of brewing adorn the walls and there is the chance to sample - and of course pur-
chase - some of the local brew.
If you are travelling with a tour group that is larger than 20 people, and if you call two
weeks in advance ( 623-2001), you can arrange a guided English tour of the brewery.
in Japanese.
The museum is a 10-minute walk northeast of Chūshojima Station on the Keihan line.
To get here from the station, go right at the main exit, take a right down an unpaved road,
a left at the playground, cross the bridge over the canal and follow the road round to the
left; the museum is on the left.
| SAKE BREWERY
KIZAKURA KAPPA COUNTRY
( 611-9919; Fushimi-ku, Shioya-chō 228; 11.30am- 2pm & 5-10pm Mon-Fri, 11am-2pm & 3-10pm Sat & Sun;
6min walk from Chūshojima Station, Keihan line)
A short walk from its competitor, Gekkeikan,
Kizakura is another sake brewery worth a look while you're in the neighbourhood. The
vast complex houses both sake and beer breweries, courtyard gardens and a small gallery
dedicated to the mythical (and sneaky) creature Kappa. The restaurant-bar is an appealing
option for a bite and a bit of fresh-brewed ale.
TERADAYA MUSEUM
( 622-0243; Fushimi-ku, Minamihama-chō; adult ¥400, child ¥200-300; 10am-3.40pm; 5min walk from
Chūshojima Station, Keihan line)
Famed as the inn of choice for rebel samurai Sakamoto Ryōma
(1834-67), these days Teradaya operates as a museum. Fans of Ryōma faithfully make the
pilgrimage here to see the room where he slept.
| MUSEUM
You might have to ask a passer-by for directions, as the way is poorly marked. There is
a sign out the front in English that reads: 'The site of the Teradaya Feud'.
Uji
About 20 minutes south of Kyoto Station by train, the small city of Uji is rich in Heian-
period culture. Its main claims to fame are Byōdō-in and Ujigami-jinja (both Unesco
World Heritage sites) and tea cultivation. The Uji-bashi Bridge, originally all wood and
the oldest of its kind in Japan (it is now constructed of concrete and wood), has been the
