Daisen-in (Daitoku-ji)（大徳寺、大仙院）
A Zen Garden Journey Through Life Do you want to experience Zen Buddhist philosophy firsthand and meet a Zen priest who might even make you laugh? Do you want to walk the same paths where key figures of Japanese history once lived and trained? Then Daitoku-ji and its sub-temple Daisen-in in northern Kyoto are the […]
Ōhashi-ke（大橋家庭園）
Historic private garden in Fushimi Inari with Kyoto’s oldest Suikinkutsu The Ōhashi-ke garden lies quietly in the Fushimi Inari area of southern Kyoto. Although small, it offers a rare feature: Japan’s oldest Suikinkutsu (水琴窟), a hidden water instrument that creates delicate sounds. A Suikinkutsu is a jar buried under a basin. As water drips through […]
Nishimura-ke and Umetsuji-ke （西村家 梅辻家 社家町）
Historic priest residences near Kamigamo Shrine in Kyoto The Nishimura and Umetsuji residences are traditional homes in Kyoto, once inhabited by priests of Kamigamo Shrine. These houses belong to a special category called Shake (社家)—residences of hereditary Shinto priest families. In the past, it was common for the role of head priest to be passed […]
Katsura Rikyu（桂離宮）
An Edo-Period Masterpiece of Architecture, Tea Culture, and Poetic Garden Design Katsura Rikyū (桂離宮), also known as Katsura Imperial Villa or Katsura Detached Palace, is one of Japan’s most important cultural treasures. Built in the early Edo period for Prince Toshihito, the garden reflects his refined literary taste and includes many references to the classic […]
Sento Gosho (Sento Imperial Palace)（仙洞御所）
A Refined Imperial Garden Rooted in Poetry and Power Sentō Gosho is a historic strolling garden in Kyoto, originally created in 1630 as the retirement grounds of Emperor Go-Mizunoo. Though the palace buildings were lost to fire and never rebuilt, the garden remains a masterpiece of early Edo-period landscape design. The garden was created under […]
Shugaku-in Rikyu（修学院離宮）
Kyoto’s Imperial Garden Retreat with Spectacular Borrowed Scenery Shūgaku-in Rikyū is a unique imperial garden in Kyoto, featuring three separate gardens rather than a single cohesive layout. These gardens are connected by scenic gravel paths that wind through rice fields and farmland, creating a serene contrast to Kyoto’s more formal palace grounds. In the mid-17th […]
Kyoto Gosho (Kyoto Imperial Palace)（京都御所）
From Ancient Seat to Serene Garden The Kyoto Imperial Palace was the residence of Japan’s emperors for over a thousand years. From the Heian period (794–1185) until the end of the Edo period (1603–1868), this palace was the heart of the imperial court. However, after the Edo period ended, the Emperor (Tenno) and his court […]
Toji-in（等持院）
A Hidden Temple with Ashikaga Legacy Tōji-in is a peaceful Zen temple tucked away in northern Kyoto. Unlike the city’s more famous sites, it remains largely untouched by tourist crowds. The temple was founded in 1341 by Ashikaga Takauji, the first shogun of the Muromachi period. He commissioned the renowned garden designer and Zen priest […]
Shosei-en (Kikoku-tei) （渉成園）
A Hidden Oasis near Kyoto Station Tucked just a few minutes’ walk from Kyoto Station, Shōsei-en Garden offers a peaceful escape from the city’s constant movement. This historical garden belongs to Higashi-Hongan-ji, one of Kyoto’s most important temples of the True Pure Land School of Buddhism. Shōsei-en traces its origins to the early Heian period […]
Ninna-ji（仁和寺）
Kyoto’s Imperial Temple with Elegant Gardens and Shinden Architecture Founded in 888 during the Heian period, Ninna-ji is one of Kyoto’s most historically significant temples. Emperor Uda established it as an imperial temple, and for nearly 1,000 years, its head priest was traditionally a son of the reigning emperor. This imperial connection gave the temple […]