Located a five-minute walk from the Kyoto Shiyakusho-mae Subway Station. Heading north along the Takase River, a fine stone wall will come into view. While you may think it is some kind of a grand estate at first, you will soon catch sight of the restaurant’s entrance gate. This is no estate: it’s the popular kaiseki restaurant Ganko Takasegawa-Nijoen. Ganko Takasegawa-Nijoen was originally the villa of the Edo-period business magnate Suminokura Ryoi and later that of Yamagata Aritomo, the Prime Minister during the Meiji-period. This historic building has occupied the same location for 200 to 300 years. The restaurant has a spacious Japanese garden that hardly anyone would expect to find in the middle of Kyoto. In contrast to the impressive garden, the food is refined and delicate. Evidence of the restaurant’s careful consideration and dedication is everywhere, giving you a sense of Japan’s spirit of hospitality.