is the former home and garden of the Japanese jidaigeki

Jidaigeki

is a genre of film, television, and theatre in Japan. The name means "period drama" and is usually the Edo period of Japanese history, from 1603 to 1868. Some, however, are set much earlier—Portrait of Hell, for example, is set during the late Heian period—and the early Meiji era is also a popular...

 film actor Denjirō Ōkōchi

Denjirō Ōkōchi

was a Japanese film actor most famous for starring roles in jidaigeki directed by such masters as Akira Kurosawa, Daisuke Itō, Sadao Yamanaka, Teinosuke Kinugasa, Hiroshi Inagaki and Masahiro Makino. His real name was Masuo Ōbe...

 and is located in Arashiyama

Arashiyama

is a district on the western outskirts of Kyoto, Japan. It also refers to the mountain across the Ōi River, which forms a backdrop to the district.Notable tourist sites in Arashiyama include...

, Kyoto

Kyoto

is a city in the central part of the island of Honshū, Japan. It has a population close to 1.5 million. Formerly the imperial capital of Japan, it is now the capital of Kyoto Prefecture, as well as a major part of the Osaka-Kobe-Kyoto metropolitan area.-History:...

. The villa is open to the public for an admission fee and is known for its gardens and views of the Kyoto area. Several of the buildings are recorded as cultural properties

Cultural Properties of Japan

As defined by the Japanese government's Agency for Cultural Affairs, the are tangible properties and intangible properties created or developed in JapanDespite the official definition, some Cultural Properties of Japan were created in China, Korea or other...

 by the national government.

Location

Ōkōchi Sansō is located on the slopes of Mt. Ogura behind Tenryūji Temple and next to Arashiyama Park and the Sagano bamboo grove in Ukyō-ku, Kyoto

Ukyo-ku, Kyoto

is one of the eleven wards in the city of Kyoto, in Kyoto Prefecture, Japan. The word , as opposed to , refers to the western half of the ancient capital of Heiankyō – the palace faced south, hence west was to the right...

. The closest regular train station (about a 15 minute walk) is Arashiyama on the Keifuku Electric Railroad

Keifuku Electric Railroad

is a railroad company based in Kyoto Prefecture, Japan in operation since March 2, 1942. It is a parent company of Keifuku Bus, and an affiliated company of Keihan Electric Railway, which owns 42.89% of the company stock...

 Arashiyama Main Line. Torokko Arashima Station on the special Sagano Scenic Railway is even closer.

The villa

The grounds of the villa encompass approximately 20 thousand square meters and feature multiple buildings, including a Japanese style home, tea houses, and shrines, located amidst carefully maintained Japanese gardens. They were built up over a period of thirty years by Ōkōchi to function as one of his residences, but were eventually opened to the public after his death in 1962. The main structures were built in the 1930s and 1940s except for the Jibutsudō, which is a Meiji Era building that was moved to this site. The various gardens were designed to show off each of the four seasons. Since the villa is located on top of a hill, the city of Kyoto

Kyoto

is a city in the central part of the island of Honshū, Japan. It has a population close to 1.5 million. Formerly the imperial capital of Japan, it is now the capital of Kyoto Prefecture, as well as a major part of the Osaka-Kobe-Kyoto metropolitan area.-History:...

, Mt. Hiei, and the Hozu River

Hozu River

The is a part of Katsura River in Kyoto Prefecture, Japan. The river begins in the mountains near Kameoka, a town northwest of Kyoto City. It snakes into the Arashiyama section of western Kyoto before changing its name to Katsura River....

 gorge are well visible from points on the grounds.

Facilities

Four of the structures on the grounds were recorded as tangible cultural properties (tōroku yūkei bunkazai) by the national government in 2003:

• Daijōkaku (the main house, known for boldly combining shoin-zukuri
  Shoin-zukuri
  is a style of Japanese residential architecture used in the mansions of the military, temple guest halls, and Zen abbot's quarters of the Azuchi-Momoyama and Edo periods . It forms the basis of today's traditional-style Japanese house. Characteristics of the shoin-zukuri development were the...
  
  , sukiya-zukuri
  Sukiya-zukuri
  is one type of Japanese residential architectural style. Suki means refined, well cultivated taste and delight in elegant pursuits and refers to enjoyment of the exquisitely performed tea ceremony....
  
   and other styles)
• Jibutsudō (a Buddhist shrine, with Irimoya
  Irimoya
  A xieshan style or roof in Japanese architecture is a hip roof integrated on two opposing sides with a gable. It can be also described in English as a hip-and-gable, gablet, or Dutch gable roof...
  
   style roof)
• Tekisuian (a chashitsu
  Chashitsu
  In Japanese tradition, architectural spaces designed to be used for tea ceremony gatherings are known as chashitsu ....
  
  , or tea house)
• Chūmon (the middle gate)

There is also an open air museum dedicated to Denjirō Ōkōchi and an observation platform. Matcha

Matcha

refers to finely-milled green tea, most popular in Japan. The cultural activity called the Japanese tea ceremony centers on the preparation, serving, and drinking of matcha. In modern times, matcha has also come to be used to flavour and dye foods such as mochi and soba noodles, green tea ice cream...

tea and a sweet are included in the price of admission and are available at the main tea house.

External links

• Kyoto Kankō Navi Introduction to Ōkōchi Sansō by Kyoto City (in Japanese)