Okay... We've talked about this before.... OMG... I want to go... If
anyone is serious enough to go next year, count me in...
The site is in Japanese and YES babelfish is our friend for now.. If
you want to see this great tour...
http://rau.milkcafe.to/makoto/book/tour_1.htm
The tour starts with the Ishin shishi sites, the Restoration mansion
(yeah what did you expect! just kidding).
Click next at the bottom
This part of the tour shows the home of Katsura and Ikumatsu. If you
remember the RK OVAs then this should look familiar... There's
actually some sort of info (I'm not really sure as babelfish is
weird), that the Shinsengumi attacked the place and Katsura had
Ikumatsu hide in the big chest (don't worry you won't miss it).
There's a picture of Ikumatsu (not far from how she was drawn in
RK). Looks like she was also a Geisha? (not sure)
Then there seems to be a restaurant inside the Restoration mansion?
Oh of course the prices are there too.
Click next at the bottom
I think it mentioned that they visited the Ikeda house but I'm not
sure about the pictures...
There are pictures of what I'd say castles, probably the official
headquarters in Kyoto? I'm not sure please clarify this for me.
Thanks...
Then they leave for the good part, the Maekawa residence (where the
Shinsengumi stayed after they separated I think from Serizawa Kamo?)
There is a shot of the corridor, shot of the house outside and a
shot of the storehouse. The storehouse is an interesting thing
because most tours I've read do let you go inside.
Click next
This is inside the storehouse... The floors are removable? What for?
There's also the low ceiling and the pulley there. The webmaster
said probably for torture... Remember RK OVA again... I think it was
in the directors cut, a footage was shown about this. More removable
floors... Finally what is that wood panel with the name Shinsengumi
on it? A postcard...
Then contact information! I REALLY WANT TO GO!
click next
Yagi residence headquarters of Shinsengumi... I think this is where
Serizawa Kamo was forced to commit seppuku (not sure as usual... I'm
bad at this)... Bunches of pictures of the house... PLUS Shinsengumi
merchandise... I really want that UNIFORM... Last interesting note
for me is the Heshou Well, it says it has been in existence while
our bishies stayed there. I'm not sure what they meant when they
started talking about the "stones"... More yagi residence pictures...
The tour was conducted by bus for one day, back in June 2003.
~wounds