Sumiya Pleasure House is the last remaining ageya (pleasure house) in the old Shimabara pleasure quarter. Built in 1641, this stately two-storey, 20-room structure allows a rare glimpse into Edo-era nirvana. With its delicate latticework exterior, Sumiya has a huge open kitchen and an extensive series of rooms (including one extravagantly decorated with mother-of-pearl inlay). Special tours in Japanese (requiring advance reservations by phone in Japanese) allow access to the 2nd storey and are conducted daily.
Shimabara, a district northwest of Kyoto Station, was Kyoto’s original pleasure quarters. At its peak during the Edo period (1603–1868) the area flourished, with more than 20 enormous ageya – magnificent banquet halls where artists, writers and statesmen gathered in a ‘floating world’ ambience of conversation, art and fornication. Geisha were often sent from their okiya (living quarters) to entertain patrons at these restaurant-cum-brothels. By the start of the Meiji period, however, such activities had drifted north to the Gion district and Shimabara had lost its prominence.
