Shimabara Sumiya
Kyoto Station, Kyoto
- Fri to Sun
- 10:00 to 15:30
- Mon to Thu
- Closed
Open in spring and autumn seasons only. Autumn 2026 runs 18 September to 13 December, also on public holidays. 15:30 is the last entry.
Source: sumiyaho.sakura.ne.jp, checked 11 Oct 2026.
Sumiya is the last surviving ageya, an Edo-period banquet house where hosts fed and entertained guests with taiyu and geiko sent over from the okiya. The Nakagawa family has run it since Shimabara, Kyoto's old licensed hanamachi, moved here in 1641. It was enlarged in 1787 and listed as an Important Cultural Property in 1952.
Insider tip
It opens only in spring and autumn (autumn 2026 runs 18 September to 13 December, Fridays to Sundays and holidays). The ground floor's shown by guided tour only, six times a day from 10:30, for ¥1,000. The upstairs rooms need a booking and another ¥1,000, and primary school children can't go up.
What's on near Shimabara Sumiya
Upcoming events within a ten-minute walk of Shimabara Sumiya, from the weekly Kyoto events calendar.
Umekoji Park Handmade Market
梅小路公園手づくり市
Time 9:00 to 16:00 Station Umekoji-Kyotonishi (JR Sagano Line)
The sister market of the Hyakumanben one, with makers' stalls in Umekoji Park, and unlike at the temple you can bring a dog. It goes ahead in the rain.
Tam0031, CC BY-SA 3.0 Kyoto Ongaku Hakurankai (Kyoto Music Expo)
京都音楽博覧会
Station Umekoji-Kyotonishi (JR Sagano Line)
The band Quruli's outdoor music festival on the lawn of Umekoji Park, held since 2007, and a one-day advance ticket was ¥13,000 for the 20th edition in 2026.
Tam0031, CC BY-SA 3.0 Plum Festival at Umekoji Park
梅まつり（梅小路公園）
Time 10:00 to 15:00 Station Umekoji-Kyotonishi (JR Sagano Line)
For two weeks you can walk inside the park's plum grove, which is usually fenced off: about 150 trees of 14 varieties.
Tam0031, CC BY-SA 3.0 Umekoji Park Handmade Market
梅小路公園手づくり市
Time 9:00 to 16:00 Station Umekoji-Kyotonishi (JR Sagano Line), 1 min walk
The sister market of Chion-ji's, run by the same team, sets up in Umekoji Park on the first Saturday of the month, with crafts and food sold by the people who made them. In May it joins the park's Green Fair on 3 and 4 May instead.
Tam0031, CC BY-SA 3.0 Umekoji Park Autumn Leaves Light-up
梅小路公園紅葉まつり（ライトアップ）
Time 17:00 to 21:00 (last entry 20:30) Station Umekoji-Kyotonishi (JR Sagano Line), 1 min walk
Umekoji Park lights the maples and pines of its Suzaku Garden, where a still pond mirrors the trees and one path runs under leaves you can almost touch. Tickets are ¥600, ¥100 less with a same-day stub from the aquarium, the railway museum or VIVA SQUARE KYOTO, and it's closed on 16 and 24 Nov.
Tam0031, CC BY-SA 3.0 Nearby
Around Kyoto Station
Free temples and late ramen a few minutes from the platforms
Most visitors only see Kyoto Station on the way in or out, which is a shame. Higashi Hongan-ji is 7 minutes north on foot and free, To-ji's pagoda is 15 minutes south, and at the railway museum to the west a working steam engine will pull you along. After dark, 15,000 LEDs light the station's 171-step staircase.
Kyoto Station has 23 places on the Roam Kyoto map: 4 shrines and temples, 4 museums, 3 restaurants, 2 shops, 2 cafes, 2 parks and gardens, 2 bathhouses, 1 bar, 1 landmark, 1 viewpoint and 1 market. Read the Kyoto Station guide.
Good to know
- What is the address of Shimabara Sumiya?
- 32 Nishishinyashiki Ageya-cho, Shimogyo-ku, Kyoto (in Japanese: 京都市下京区西新屋敷揚屋町32).
- What are the opening hours of Shimabara Sumiya?
- Fri to Sun 10:00 to 15:30; Closed Mon to Thu. Open in spring and autumn seasons only. Autumn 2026 runs 18 September to 13 December, also on public holidays. 15:30 is the last entry.
- How do I get to Shimabara Sumiya?
- The nearest station is Tambaguchi (JR Sagano Line). Shimabara Sumiya is in Kyoto Station, Kyoto.
- How much does Shimabara Sumiya cost?
- Shimabara Sumiya is cheap, marked ¥ on the site's price scale.
- How long do you need at Shimabara Sumiya?
- Plan for 1 hour.
- When is the best time to visit Shimabara Sumiya?
- Autumn weekends.
Stay near Shimabara Sumiya
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