Kiunkaku

A beautifully restored Japanese villa in Atami

Peter Sidell Feb 26, 2015 - 1 min read

<p>An elegant Japanese-style tatami room</p>

<p>Looking down on the garden from the second floor</p>

<p>The corridors have a hushed atmosphere</p>

<p>The tiled floor in the Western-style cottage</p>

<p>Buddhist relief and stained glass</p>

<p>A sunroom to admire the garden from</p>

<p>You can also admire the garden from the bathroom</p>

<p>Sliding doors, paper screens, tatami floor</p>

<p>Looking down at the Western cottage</p>

Kiunkaku is a beautifully restored Japanese villa in Atami, dating back to 1919. Built around a tranquil traditional garden, it has a range of differently styled rooms: elegant Japanese rooms with tatami floors, paper screens and alcoves for decorative hanging scrolls; Western-style cottages with plush furnishings and sunrooms overlooking the garden; a cafe, an exhibition room for art displays, a music hall for intimate concerts. It's very relaxing to just stroll around slowly, taking in the peaceful atmosphere of a prosperous age.

It's open from 9:00am to 5:00pm, closed on Wednesdays (or Thursday if the Wednesday is a national holiday), and admission costs ¥510.

Peter Sidell @peter.sidell

I came to Japan from Manchester, England in 2003, and have travelled a lot since then, around Japan and in Asia. When I'm not working, I write satire and perform stand-up comedy in and around Tokyo. Check YouTube for a taste.