Abragen Nishikawa Abura-ten
- Highlight
- A memory lane of oil related tools and retailing equipment used from Edo to Showa period
The precious tools that were once used to extract rape-seed oil
This oil shop museum is on the aptly named Aburakoji-dori (oil lane), which was a main route in Edo times, heavily used by people coming into Kyoto from Osaka, Fushimi and Kisshoin. It also is very close to where Kashitaro Ito was murdered by the Shinsengumi (shogunate police).
Founded in 1835, the shop pressed rape-seed oil for many generations, but now only retails oil, notably to the likes of nearby temples such as Nishihongan-ji Temple. The display room in this shop is home to a collection of oil pressing tools that were used in the shop back in the days when oil extracting was a strenuous and convoluted task. The pieces include equipment for compressing the rape seeds, vats that oil were sold from and shoulder poles for carrying the vats. The shop also has equipment from the joruri, or Japanese ballad drama, puppet play Onnagoroshi Abura no Jigoku (The Woman Killer and the Hell of Oil) by Monzaemon Chikamatsu.
What is the color of the rapeseed flower?
| Address | 294 Aburanokoji-cho Aburanokoji-dori Shichijo-sagaru, Shimogyo-ku |
|---|---|
| TEL | 075-343-0733 |
| FAX | 075-343-0734 |
| URL | https://abragen.net/ |
| Hours | 8:30 ~ 11:30 |
| Closed | Sun, Nat Hols |
| Adm | Free |
| Access | A 5-min walk from Central Exit of the Subway Karasuma Line and JR Kyoto Stn/ A 3-min walk from Nanajo-Horikawa Stop and Shimogyo-ku Sogochosha-mae Stop of City Bus |
Facilities near by
Neesima’s Residence
The home lived in by the founders of Doshisha University
Mibu Temple Cultural Properties Exhibition Hall (Mibu Temple History Library)
A temple closely associated with Mibu Kyogen and Shinsen-gumi
The Bank of Yanagihara Memorial Museum
One of the oldest wooden bank buildings in Kyoto founded by a discriminated-against people
Nissha Museum of Printing History
A historical corridor leading from the origins to modern times of printing