Garden

Shusui-tei is a building from the late Edo period.This building is both a detached residence and a tea ceremony room for the Kujo-ke family.The Kujo-ke family is one of Goseke(five families of the Fujiwara clan-Konoe-ke,Kujo-ke,Nijo-ke,Ichijo-ke,and Takatsukasa-ke), and is a family with a great history.

Ginkakuji (Jishoji) Temple, located at the foot of Mt. Daimonji, does not have buildings covered in shining silver leaf like Kinkaku-ji Temple. Compared to Kinkaku-ji Temple, it is a very simple Zen-style temple.

If you walk west from the South Big Gate of Todai-ji Temple for about 10 minutes, you will reach Yoshiki-en Garden.From the detached tea house, you can look out over the moss garden, which has a lot of depth.Personally, I think this is the best view of Yoshiki-en Garden.

There is a beautiful garden to the south of the Nara Hotel.There is a pond and greenery in the vast grounds.There is a small island floating in the pond and a red bridge.This is the garden of the former Daijo-in Temple.

Koetsu-ji Temple has a striking entrance leading up to the main gate.The temple grounds, which are thickly wooded, are dotted with tea ceremony rooms. It is located next to Mt. Takagamine and Mt. Washigamine, and in the distance you can see the 36 peaks of the Higashiyama Mountains.

Many tourists take the Eizan Train toKuramaandKibune.However, few tourists get off at Iwakura station on the way.InIwaku...

Construction of the Shugakuin Imperial Villa began under Emperor Emeritus Go-Mizunoo between 1655 and 1656 during the Edo period, and was completed around 1959.The Shugakuin Imperial Villa encompasses three areas: the Upper Villa, Middle Villa, and Lower Villa. Its vast grounds include the pine-lined paths connecting each villa and the adjacent farmland.

In Okazaki, there is a villa called “Murin-an” that was the garden villa of Yamagata aritomo, a statesman during the Meiji and Taisho periods. It is a luxurious garden with water from the Lake Biwa Canal flowing into the garden and the Higashiyama mountains as a borrowed landscape.

I went to see the garden at Kyutei Omuro. It is located in a quiet residential area near Ninna-ji Temple, at the northern foot of Ichino-oka Hill.Perhaps because I visited during the hot part of the day, there were few people around, so I was able to relax in the tea house in the garden.

Kinkaku-ji is a classic tourist destination in Kyoto. Almost all tourists who visit Kyoto stop by here.The Kinkaku(reliquary hall) seen over Kyoko-chi Pond is set against the backdrop of Mt. Kinugasa. This angle makes the Kinkaku look its best.

Ryoan-ji Temple, famous for its rock garden, attracts many tourists who come here just to see the garden.If you want to see the rock garden, it's best to go early in the morning. You can sit on the veranda of the Hojo building, where there are fewer people, and meditate in the silence, facing the rock garden. The rock garden at Ryoan-ji Temple is a peaceful and pleasant space, but I think the forest surrounding the temple is also a healing space.

From morning, take your time to enjoy the gardens of Tenryu-ji Temple. The Sogen-chi Pond Garden, as seen from the Dai-hojo(ceremonial hall) and the Ko-hojo(reception hall), is a superb garden that makes use of the scenery of Arashiyama as a backdrop.