Kinshi Masamune Horino Memorial Museum

The basics

The museum is divided into multiple sections. The Bunko Warehouse—where sake was originally stored—now houses a variety of documents, tools, and original artifacts related to 18th and 19th-century sake brewing. Kinshi Masamune’s beer is currently processed on-site, and visitors can tour the beer brewery and learn about local fermentation techniques. A rustic footpath leads through Tsurukame Garden, while you can admire machiya architecture throughout two floors of the wooden house.

Things to know before you go

• Adults can buy admission tickets at the museum for 300 yen each—a little over $2, depending on exchange rates. Students can enter at a discounted price.

• The museum houses an on-site souvenir shop with plenty of gift options. Only interested in visiting the shop or beer hall? Then you can enter free of charge without buying an admission ticket.

• Don’t miss the “Peace Tree Well” in the Tsurukame Garden. Situated under a peach tree (hence the name), this wooden well provided water for machiya beer and produced the water for the many types of sake that were once made on the premises.

How to get there

The Horino Memorial Museum can be easily reached by multiple public transportation options. It is about a 10-minute walk from the Karasuma Nijo stop if you’re coming by bus. If you prefer to take the metro, hop aboard the Karasuma Line and get off at Marutamachi Station. You can reach the museum on foot in about 10 minutes.

When to get there

The museum is open from 11am to 5pm, with the final admission at 4:30pm. However, it’s not open daily; the museum is closed every Tuesday in April, May, October, and November and closed on Tuesdays and Wednesdays in all other months. Check the website before your trip to ensure the museum will be open before planning your visit because they also close for major holidays.

Kyoto International Manga Museum

Just a 7-minute walk from the Horino Memorial Museum, this sprawling collection is devoted to Japanese comics and graphic novels, a pop culture tradition known as manga in Japan. In addition to permanent exhibits, you’ll find a rotating roster of temporary shows and a variety of interactive workshops and events—including the chance to meet local artists and have your portrait drawn as a manga character.