🗺️ Kameido Umeyashiki亀戸梅屋敷

In the Kameido area of Koto City, there is a villa that once belonged to the kimono merchant Iseya Hikoemon, known as "Seikouan." In the garden, there is a uniquely shaped plum tree, with a trunk extending 150 meters from underground to the surface, resembling a giant dragon lying across the garden. This place is also beloved by locals and is famously known as "Kameido Umeyashiki." The ukiyo-e artist Utagawa Hiroshige created a print titled "One Hundred Famous Views of Edo: Kameido Umeyashiki" in 1857, which featured Kameido Umeyashiki as a model. The print gained further fame when the renowned Dutch painter Van Gogh copied it. Within the well-known "Kameido Umeyashiki," there are various shops, including those that provide information on Kameido's tourist attractions and sell local specialties, as well as stores that offer traditional Japanese crafts like "Edo Kiriko." Kameido Umeyashiki also has many captivating highlights. There is the "Edo Kiriko Gallery," where visitors can learn about the craft and its history; reproductions of Utagawa Hiroshige's ukiyo-e work "One Hundred Famous Views of Edo: Kameido Umeyashiki"; a three-dimensional painting called "Shikkui Ukiyo-e," created using a plaster technique known as "shikkui" from 1851; and panels that explain the origins and historical trajectory of Kameido Umeyashiki. The facility also features a space called "Fuji no Ma," where "Kameido Umeyashiki Rakugo" events are held, showcasing performances of solo or group storytelling and traditional Japanese arts such as "Rakugo." Services for foreign tourists are also well-developed, including English brochures, guided tours using tablets, and short films providing travel information.

There are stores selling local specialty products and traditional crafts. The reproductions of ukiyo-e by Utagawa Hiroshige and the three-dimensional painting "Shikkui Ukiyo-e," created using the "shikkui" technique, are very popular. Every month, a rakugo performance called "Kameido Umeyashiki Yochi" is held.