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.

Fushimi Inari Taisha is located on Mt.Inari, a 233-meter-high mountain at the southernmost tip of the 36 peaks of the Higashiyama mountain range.This time, I went to the Ganriki-sha Shrine on the mountainside. This is a shrine where, in addition to recovery from eye diseases, you can pray for “insight” and “the gift of eyesight”. Many business people and company owners come to pray at this shrine.

Long ago, the Hashimoto red-light district was located here.Although you may get off at “Iwashimizu-hachimangu Station” one stop further away, it is not often that you get off at this “Hashimoto Station”,The west side of the station is dotted with retro buildings of the old red-light district that remind us of the bygone days.