Murin-an

photo by Sawa masa · CC BY-SA 4.0

Entry is limited, with a booked time slot: that is why there are no crowds.

You arrive at the time printed on your ticket and go in a few at a time. The lawn slopes down to a stream, and at the far end there is no wall but Mount Higashiyama, left inside the frame as a backdrop. It is the opposite of the temples around it, where you walk in single file.

It was the villa of Yamagata Aritomo, soldier and statesman of the Meiji era, that is, the years when Japan gave itself a modern state. The garden was designed by Ogawa Jihei VII and is designated a *meishō*, a scenic site of historic interest. The stream that runs through it is fed by the Lake Biwa Canal, the engineering work from those same years that brings the lake's water to Kyoto.

ℹ️ ¥600 in the normal period, but in high season (cherry blossom, Golden Week, autumn) it rises to as much as ¥1,500. Free for Kyoto residents over 70, for children under 6 and for disability certificate holders with one companion; ¥100 off with a one-day metro pass. Opens at 9:00 and closes at 17:00 from October to March, at 18:00 from April to September, with last entry half an hour before. Closed only from 29 to 31 December. ⚠️ Visitor numbers are capped and the website recommends booking ahead in high season to be sure of getting in. No car park. Taking photos for yourself is unrestricted; professional photo shoots and tripods require a permit and ¥30,000. ⚠️ The website announces earthquake-proofing work from 2027 to 2031.

🚉 Keage · 7 min walk

Sources: murin-an.jp · murin-an.jp

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