Restaurant Noa Noa (Former Hashimoto Kansetsu Residence Western-style Annex): A Painter's Dream of Mediterranean Light in the Heart of Kyoto
Tucked along Kyoto's celebrated Philosopher's Path, just steps from the world-renowned Silver Pavilion, stands a building unlike anything else in the neighborhood. With its softly curved white walls, terracotta-toned tiles and gently sloping eaves, the former Western-style annex of the Hashimoto Kansetsu Residence brings a touch of southern Europe to the green foothills of Mount Daimonji. Today it operates as Restaurant Noa Noa, where guests can dine on European cuisine surrounded by the very interiors that one of early twentieth-century Japan's most celebrated painters created for himself nearly a hundred years ago.
The building is a Registered Tangible Cultural Property of Japan, formally listed under its full designation as the "Former Hashimoto Kansetsu Residence Western-style Annex." It is a rare and intimate example of how a leading Japanese-style painter chose to dream in a thoroughly Mediterranean idiom — and an utterly distinctive place to spend an afternoon while exploring the eastern hills of Kyoto.
The Painter Behind the Building
To understand this little Spanish-flavoured pavilion, it helps to know the artist who designed it. Hashimoto Kansetsu (1883–1945) was one of the foremost Nihonga (Japanese-style) painters of the Taisho and early Showa eras. Born in Kobe to a Confucian scholar, he studied under the great Takeuchi Seiho in Kyoto and went on to win major prizes at the national art exhibitions of his day. He was eventually appointed an Imperial Household Artist and a member of the Imperial Art Academy.
Kansetsu was famous for vast, atmospheric paintings drawn from Chinese classical literature and for tender depictions of animals — his beloved dogs, monkeys and birds appear repeatedly in his work. But he was equally devoted to architecture, gardens and antiquities. Over roughly thirty years from 1916, he poured his earnings into shaping his Kyoto home, the Hakusasonso ("White Sand Village Villa"), into a sprawling artistic universe of his own design. The garden of Hakusasonso is itself a nationally designated Place of Scenic Beauty, while the small Western-style building now occupied by Noa Noa was added around 1929 — at the height of Kansetsu's career.
A Spanish Pavilion for a Painter's Western Treasures
Kansetsu was not only a painter of East Asian themes; he was also a devoted collector of antiquities from across the world, including ancient Greek pottery and ceramics. Records of the property note that this Western-style annex was conceived specifically as a place to display his collection of Western art. The choice of architectural language — Spanish, or more broadly Mediterranean — reflects both the cosmopolitan tastes of late-1920s Japan and Kansetsu's own enthusiasm for blending traditions.
The building is a two-storey reinforced-concrete structure with a tiled roof, clad in mortar finished in pale tones that recall sun-drenched Iberia. Yet a closer look reveals the eye of a Japanese designer at work. The eaves above the main entrance, for example, are shaped to suggest the rafters of traditional Japanese architecture, fusing Spanish form with subtly Japanese ornament. It is precisely this graceful hybrid quality that earned the building its national registration: it is regarded as an evocative survivor of one current of early-Showa residential design, in which Western fashions were filtered through a distinctly Japanese sensibility.
From Private Salon to Garden Restaurant
For decades the annex remained part of the private Hashimoto residence. In 1970, the ground-floor rooms were converted into a kitchen and dining space, and the building — together with a later wooden extension — was reborn as Restaurant Noa Noa, named after the Tahitian-themed memoir of the painter Paul Gauguin. It has been welcoming guests as a European-style restaurant ever since.
Today, diners can savour freshly boiled pasta and house-made pizza either in the high-ceilinged interiors of the former art salon, with their antique furniture and softly filtered light, or out on a terrace surrounded by an open garden of seasonal flowers. The restaurant's atmosphere is unhurried, slightly nostalgic, and entirely in keeping with the painterly spirit Kansetsu intended for the place. While the adjoining Hakusasonso garden and the Hashimoto Kansetsu Memorial Museum require a separate ticket to visit, anyone may step into the Noa Noa garden simply by coming to dine.
Highlights for Visitors
The first delight, even before stepping inside, is the contrast between the building and its setting. The cool, pale Mediterranean façade rising amid maples, cherry trees and Kyoto's eastern mountains is a sight one rarely associates with the city, and a favourite of photographers strolling the Philosopher's Path. Look closely at the entrance and you will see the Japanese-style detailing in the eaves — a small but charming visual signature of Kansetsu the designer.
Inside, the dining rooms preserve the proportions and warm wooden detailing of an early-Showa salon, complemented by antique sideboards and chandeliers. Many tables enjoy a view straight out into the lush garden, where mature trees nearly a century old provide deep summer shade and brilliant autumn colour. For those seeking a leisurely interlude during a temple-heavy day in Kyoto, a long lunch at Noa Noa is a memorable change of pace, blending architectural appreciation with relaxed European dining.
Exploring the Surrounding Area
Noa Noa stands in one of the richest cultural districts of Kyoto. Just a few minutes' walk to the east lies Ginkaku-ji, the Silver Pavilion, a Zen temple inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List as part of the Historic Monuments of Ancient Kyoto. Running south from there is the Philosopher's Path, a tree-lined canal walk renowned for its cherry blossoms in spring and momiji in autumn, and named after the philosopher Nishida Kitaro who once strolled it daily.
Continuing south along the path, visitors reach the moss-covered precincts of Honen-in, the towering gates of Eikan-do — celebrated for fiery autumn foliage — and finally Nanzen-ji, one of the most important Rinzai Zen temples in Japan. Combining a morning at Ginkaku-ji, a contemplative walk down the Philosopher's Path, lunch at Noa Noa, and an afternoon at Hakusasonso's garden makes for one of the most rewarding day-itineraries in eastern Kyoto.
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Q&A
- Do I need a reservation, or can I simply walk in?
- Walk-in guests are generally welcome, but the restaurant is a popular spot near major sightseeing destinations and can be busy at peak lunch and dinner times. For a relaxed visit — especially on weekends, in cherry blossom season or during autumn foliage — a reservation by phone is strongly recommended.
- Can I see the building if I do not want to dine?
- The interior of the Western-style annex is part of the working restaurant, so it is generally accessible only to dining guests. However, the exterior and the surrounding garden can be enjoyed freely from the entrance area, and ordering tea or coffee is a comfortable way to spend time inside.
- Is the building related to the Hakusasonso garden next door?
- Yes. Both the Western-style annex and the famous Hakusasonso garden formed part of the residence of the painter Hashimoto Kansetsu. The garden is a nationally designated Place of Scenic Beauty and is open to the public with a separate admission ticket through the Hashimoto Kansetsu Memorial Museum.
- What kind of food is served at Noa Noa?
- The menu focuses on European cuisine, with freshly boiled pasta and house-made pizza as long-standing favourites since the restaurant opened in 1970. Lunch sets, hamburger steak plates and seasonal dishes are also offered, along with cakes and drinks for guests who simply want a café-style break.
- How do I reach Noa Noa from central Kyoto?
- The simplest route is by city bus from Kyoto Station or Sanjo Keihan to "Ginkakuji-michi" or "Ginkakuji-mae" stops; the restaurant is around three minutes on foot from there. From Demachiyanagi Station on the Eizan and Keihan lines it is a pleasant walk of about 25 minutes, especially attractive when combined with a stroll along the Philosopher's Path.
Basic Information
| Name | Restaurant Noa Noa (Former Hashimoto Kansetsu Residence Western-style Annex) |
|---|---|
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property of Japan (Building) |
| Date Registered | 10 November 2005 |
| Built | Around 1929 (Showa 4) |
| Designer | Hashimoto Kansetsu (Japanese-style painter, 1883–1945) |
| Structure | Reinforced concrete, two storeys, tiled roof; building area approximately 63 m² |
| Style | Spanish (Mediterranean) style with Japanese-influenced detailing |
| Address | 35-1 Joudoji Ishibashicho, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8406, Japan |
| Current Use | European-style restaurant (Restaurant Noa Noa) |
| Hours | 11:00–21:00 (irregular closing days) |
| Telephone | +81 (0)75-771-4010 |
| Access | About 3 minutes on foot from "Ginkakuji-michi" or "Ginkakuji-mae" bus stops; about 25 minutes on foot from Demachiyanagi Station |
References
- Cultural Heritage Online — Restaurant Noa Noa (Former Hashimoto Kansetsu Residence Western-style Annex)
- https://bunka.nii.ac.jp/heritages/detail/170302
- National Cultural Properties Database, Agency for Cultural Affairs
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00004992
- Kyoto Tobunkai — Hakusasonso Western Annex (NOANOA)
- https://www.kyoto-tobunkai.org/catalogue/38.html
- Hakusasonso Hashimoto Kansetsu Memorial Museum — Official Site
- http://www.hakusasonso.jp/
- Hakusasonso Garden and Hashimoto Kansetsu Memorial Museum — Oniwasan
- https://oniwa.garden/hakusasonso-hashimoto-kansetsu-museum-kyoto/
- Hashimoto Kansetsu — Wikipedia (Japanese)
- https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/橋本関雪
Last verified: 2026.05.03