This beautiful traditional house in the centre of Kyoto was built in 1743 and was subsequently destroyed in the great fire of 1870. Fortunately, the book of the Ned-Chu-Gyoji, in which the specifications of the house had been noted down, was preserved, enabling the house to be reconstructed in identical fashion. We are in Kyoto, in one of the rare preserved quarters - where the town is laid out in blocks, along the North/South and East/West axes, an idea borrowed in the VIIIth century from the Chinese capital Chang'An. The house occupies 435m2 of the 1,200m2 plot, (less than 2/5 of the land, as tradition calls for). The house belongs to the Sugimoto family, who made its fortune trading material for kimonos. The building therefore contains a shop (a long facade on the street), the family living-quarters and the employees' living-quarters. It was no simple matter to build, given the ban on adding a floor onto the building along the street. Pillars support the roof structure. The walls are made from openwork, sliding, wooden panels, with paper frames that can slide along grooves in the floor. The furniture defines the space, and in the same day, each space can change its function. The dining room can become the bedroom - the futon is simply brought out from the cupboard and a wall pulled across. A strict hierarchy presides over the space, determined by the nature of the ground and the cardinal points, the North-East being unlucky. The Sugimoto house is a large town house, comprising over 15 rooms, with a complex organisation, linked to the family's activities. It has been perfectly preserved by the different family generations. Recognised as cultural heritage, it is a focal point for different cultural events throughout the year.