Situated to the south of Shimogamo Shrine, the Former Mitsui Family Shimogamo Villa was commissioned by Takamine Mitsui, the 10th generation head of the renowned Mitsui family. Intended as a villa shared by all eleven branches of the family, it became a cherished retreat. Akinareisha, the ancestral shrine of the Mitsui family, found its new home here in 1909, with the villa's construction in 1925 providing a place for family members to rest during shrine visits. During construction, the Mitsui family’s villa in the northern part of the Kiyamachi Sanjo district was relocated as the main building of this site. In 1949, the villa transitioned to government ownership and, from 1951 to 2007, served as the residence of the chief justice of the Kyoto Family Court. Preserving the layout of this sprawling villa, centered around main buildings from the early twentieth century, it was rightfully designated as an important cultural property in 2011 due to its historical significance.