left: Zonkoro studio and garden
right: dinner

Last night we had dinner at a place I had only heard about and walked past. It is the Hakusasonso (白沙村荘) villa and studio of a Japanese painter, Hashimoto Kansetsu (1883-1945). Hakusasonso is located near The Philosopher’s Path (哲学の道, Tetsugaku no michi) and The Silver Pavilion (銀閣寺, Ginkakuji) , at the foot of Mount Daimonji (大文字山, Daimonjiyama).

The garden and studio and a museum (Japanese language only) of Hashimoto’s work is open to the public. The the villa serves kaiseki dinner in the evenings.

Hashimoto was a great lover of China and visited the country some 40 times. The villa and garden, while built in the Japanese style of the early 1900′s also has a palpable Chinese feel to it. Hashimoto was a lover of stones and huge boulders. The garden has many fine specimens, some brought over from China.

The villa is of the Taisho period (1912-1926). This a time when Japan produced art and culture, products too that were ‘modern’ due to sustained Western contact yet still retained the uniquely Japanese aspect and spirit. After Taisho, regrettably, the distinctly Japanese wanes. Taisho is the period that produced many of Japan’s great literary and visual artists.

Hashimoto’s studio, Zonkoro (存古楼) is a three story building overlooking the pond and is used for events such as moon viewing.

The Garden

Dinner and Dining Room

The dishes very good, but not amazing. The atmosphere was truly amazing, unlike anything that we had experienced in Japan before.

K. F. PekoPeko: Overall, I loved it! I highly recommend Hashimoto Restaurant/Hakusasonso. Get there while it is still light to enjoy the garden before dinner. Now if you are only looking for a super gourmet dinner, then consider another kaiseki venue.

Hakusasonso Garden and Villa, Hashimoto Kansetsu Memorial Museum:
www.kansetsu.or.jp
(Japanese language only)

白沙村荘・橋本関雪記念館、京都

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