Kikugetsutei is a tea house is an aristocratic tea house located in Ritsurin Park, which is famous for its exquisite stroll-type garden. The construction of this garden started in 1625 by the lord of the Takamatsu domain, Ikoma Takatoshi, and was completed in 1745 after 100 years of improvements and extensions made by five successive domain lords of the Matsudaira family. The park was designated a prefectural park and opened to the public in 1875.

The lord of the Matsudaira family loved this grand Kikugetsutei Tea House.
With the greenery of Mt. Shiun as a backdrop, its elegant shape looks in good harmony with the pond. The tea house is in Shoin-zukuri style (the style of warrior residences) and elaborately designed so that you can fully appreciate the beauty of the pond and the surrounding landscape beyond the water.

On the second Sunday every month, you can join the tea ceremony “Tsuki-gama” here at Kikugetsutei Tea House.

Sashimono is a generic term for woodwork that is made by the bonding of boards and sticks. Kyo-sashimono is characterized by its intelligent and delicate design and the skill used to make it. Cabinets are made to last for three generations, and even then can be repaired and will last longer. Sashimono were first made in the Heian period, when it evolved through the sophisticated culture of the imperial court. During the Azuchi-Momoyama period, it was influenced by the tea ceremony, and exquisite tea implements were created that suited the elegant and hapless times. When entering the Edo period, citizens began to gain wealth, which lead to a demand for furniture in ordinary houses. Later the craftsmen became something separate and independent from the house carpenters, and masters such as Gonbei Fujiki and Komazawa Risai appeared who have left exquisite pieces. Kyo-sashimono is one development of the Japanese woodworking techniques, and involves fine designs for specific purposes. Nowadays, the unique techniques of Kyo woodwork are still used in party rooms, Japanese style-rooms, tea ceremonies goods and tea implements.

Daisen Park is a city park in Sakai, Osaka Prefecture. It is located between Daisen-Kofun (the tomb of Emperor Nintoku) and Misanzai-Kofun (the tomb ofEmperor Richu). Inside the park small kofuns are also dotted around.The history of Daisen Park started in 1925 when it was constructed as an experimental farm land. In 1989, it was listed on “Japan’s 100 Fine CityParks” by the Society for Green Civilization and Parks & Open Space Association of Japan. In the parks are straggling many structures including tea house of Shin-andesigned by renowned Japanese Sukiya style architect of Ogi Rodo, who designed many tea houses through the period from Meiji Era to Showa Era, a Japanese Tsukiyama-type garden with the area of 30,000 square meters, and Sakai City Museum which displays treasure trove from Nintoku-ryo Kofun. The tea ceremony house is registered as the tangible cultural property of Japan.Daisen-Kofun (the tomb of Emperor Nintoku) is a a keyhole shape kofun, called zenpo-koenfun, having one square end and one circular end. This kofun is believed to be the largest zenpo-koen type kofun in Japan. It takes about 50 minutes to walk around the foss. However who is buried is still unknown.

Minase Shrine is an old historic shrine located in Osaka Pref. It enshrines the three emperors of Gotoba, Tsuchimikado, and Juntoku. The shrine originates in Mieido (an image hall) that was built by Nobunari Fujiwara and his son Chikanari at the vacant lot of the emperor Gotoba’s beloved palace of Minase in 1240. The present main hall was reconstructed during the Kanei era (1624−1643) with the timber that had been used for Naishidokoro of Kyoto Imperial Palace. Its Shin-mon (holy gate) is one of Osaka Prefecture’s Important Cultural Properties. Two of the shrine collection, the Statue of the Emperor Gotoba and his original handwriting of okibumi (the last testament), are designated as National treasures. The water springing out in the precinct is called “Rikyu-no-mizu (water of the imperial villa).” This is the only one spring water in Osaka that is selected as one of “Japan’s 100 Fine Water” by the Ministry of Environment. In the precinct of the shrine there is also a tea house in Shoin-zukuri style of the early Edo period.