Ganko Kameoka Rakurakusou

In the 50-odd years since its origin as a humble 15-square-meter shop in Osaka in 1963, Ganko Food Service has since become responsible for some of the most vaunted restaurants in Japan. Particularly active in the Kansai region, its company philosophy is to introduce diners to top-quality traditional Japanese cuisine at accessible prices, from tonkatsu to sushi. Perhaps most famous among its stable of restaurants are the oyashiki restaurants, which lets visitors enjoy Ganko’s signature high-quality Japanese cuisine in the architectural grandeur of historical mansions. Grandest of these is Rakurakusou, which was the birthplace of Kyoto Railway Company founder Gentaro Tanaka. Designed by legendary Japanese architect Jihei Ogawa VII, it is one of Japan’s Tangible Cultural Properties. The kaiyu-style garden, which spans 1,200 square meters, is inspired by the greenery of the nearby Hozu Gorge, and offers dramatically different experiences in each season. Peak popularity is in spring and autumn, when the gardens blush pink and blaze red respectively. Kaiyu means “meandering”, and the garden lets guests do precisely that, with its gently curving pathways taking them between quiet groves and still waters. It’s the perfect place to casually work up an appetite with a pre-meal stroll, or conversely, walk a particularly delicious one off.