Site of the Takatsukasa Residence
The Takatsukasa lineage belonged to one of the five regent houses that had separated from the Konoe family in the Kamakura period. In the mid-Edo period, Prince Atsu no Miya (1738–1813) of the Kan-in no Miya became the head of the Takatsukasa family. His grandson, Masamichi (1789–1868), served as regent to the emperor for more than thirty years toward the end of the Edo period. Masamichi was retained as a private adviser to the court when he retired, informally maintaining his position even after his successor, Kujo Hisatada (1798–1871), was officially appointed as regent.
During the Kinmon Incident in 1864, Choshu clan soldiers stormed the Takatsukasa residence and destroyed it by setting it on fire. The blaze swept through Kyoto, cutting a huge swath of destruction through the city and eventually consuming the Choshu residence as well.