The property offers easy access to Kyoto Station from Nijo Station on the JR line (approximately 6 minutes, no transfer required).

It is also about 12 minutes’ walk (900 meters) to Nijo Castle (Higashi Ote-mon Gate, Horikawa Street), which due to its status as a cultural treasure of old Kyoto has been registered as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Nijo Castle, completed in 1603, was built by Tokugawa Ieyasu. The castle boasts three large gardens: the Honmaru Garden, the Ninomaru Garden, and the Seiryu Garden. The spectacular Seiryu Garden nighttime illumination during the cherry blossom season is especially popular. A large part of the charm of Nijo Castle is the changing look of the gardens through the year, which feature everything from maples to gingkoes to cherry and plum blossoms and more. (See Nijo Castle official Website)

The stone wall surrounding Nijo Castle is roughly two kilometers long. Its smooth roads, and the fact that there are no traffic lights, make the area ideal for walking or jogging.

Just north of Nijo Castle (about a minute’s walk from the castle) is Nijo Park, a popular spot for children to play.

There is a temple to the southeast of the property called Shinsen-en, on the premises of which is the Hojo Bridge. It is said that if a person walks across the bridge with a certain wish in mind, that wish will come true. This is also the spot where the traditional Japanese drums are played to welcome the portable shrines known as mikoshi carried during the Gion Festival.

The Sanjokai Shotengai (shopping street) is located about 400 meters south of Nijo Castle. Here you will find many different kinds of shops—ranging from the traditional to more modern “hot topic” establishments—offering everything from daily necessities to food to miscellaneous goods, as well as cafes.