Planning a Trip to Japan: A Guide for Garden Enthusiast Planning a trip to Japan is an exciting journey, especially if you’re passionate about gardens. Here’s a comprehensive Japan garden travel guide to help you design the perfect itinerary, focusing on the best seasons, destinations, and accommodations for your garden-themed...Continue Reading
Top > Gardens Overview > Secret Gardens > Tokyo Area > Tokyo Imperial Palace Ninomaru Gardens Tokyo Imperial Palace Ninomaru Gardens（東御苑の二の丸庭園） The public Japanese garden of the Tokyo Imperial Palace can be found in the secondary circle of defense of the palace, the Ninomaru (second circle). This is the place...Continue Reading
Top > Gardens Overview > Secret Gardens > Kyoto Area > Taizō-in (Myōshin-ji) Taizō-in (Myōshin-ji)（退蔵院） Taizo-in is a small Zen Buddhism temple located in northwestern Kyoto on the quiet and spacious grounds of Myoshin-ji. With its beautiful gardens and treasures of Japanese art, Taizo-in is the oldest and most famous...Continue Reading
Top > Gardens Overview > Secret Gardens > Kyoto Area > Shōsei-en (Kikoku-tei) Shōsei-en (Kikoku-tei) （渉成園） Shōsei-en is a garden that belongs to Higashi-Hongan-ji, the big temple of the True Pure Land School of Buddhism just north of Kyoto station. The garden is said to have belonged to the residence of...Continue Reading
Top > Gardens Overview > Secret Gardens > Kyoto Area > Shōden-ji Shōden-ji （正伝寺） Shōden-ji is a small temple of the Rinzai school of Zen Buddhism. It is tucked away in the mountains in northern Kyoto. The simple Zen garden in front of the Hojo has a great view on the...Continue Reading
Top > Gardens Overview > Secret Gardens > Kyoto Area > Sanzen-in Sanzen-in （三千院） Sanzen-in is the main attraction of Ohara, a small village north of Kyoto. It was founded 806 by the monk Saicho that brought introduced the Tendai school of Buddhism to Japan. It has a moss garden that...Continue Reading
Top > Gardens Overview > Secret Gardens > Kyoto Area > Rokuō-in Rokuō-in （鹿王院庭園） In western Kyoto, near the Arashiyama hills, lies the Rinzai Zen temple Rokuō-in. It was built in 1380. The small Zen garden has a tsukubai, trimmed shrubs and some great maples. In fact, the best season to...Continue Reading
Top > Gardens Overview > Secret Gardens > Kyoto Area > Ninna-ji Ninna-ji（仁和寺） Ninna-ji is one of Kyoto’s oldest temples. It was founded in 888 (Heian period) by emperor Oda. From that time on until the end of the Edo period (1603-1868), the position of the temple’s head priest was...Continue Reading
Top > Gardens Overview > Secret Gardens > Tokyo Area > Mukōjima-hyakka-en Mukōjima-hyakka-en（向島百花園） This garden was built by an antique dealer between 1804 and 1830. The name of the garden means “a garden with a hundred flowers that bloom throughout the four seasons”, and the garden is indeed known for...Continue Reading
Top > Gardens Overview > Secret Gardens > Kyoto Area > Konchi-in Konchi-in（金地院 南禅寺） Konchi-in is a sub-temple of the Nanzen-ji temple complex. The temple was built in the early 15th century by shogun Ashikaga Yoshimochi (足利義持). In 1605, it was relocated from northern Kyoto to its present location inside the...Continue Reading
