Travel through 400 years of perfection
at the gardens of Nanzenji and Murin-an

With a garden concierge as your expert guide, set out on foot to discover the four centuries of
meticulous care and affection that have gone into creating two of Kyoto’s most impressive and
inspiring gardens.
Begin at the Hojo Garden of Nanzenji, a celebrated Rinzai Zen Buddhist temple surrounded by
mountains. The dry Hojo Garden was made sometime between 1624-44 and is said to be the
created of famed tea master and garden designer Kobori Enshu. The garden is impeccably
harmonized with the borrowed mountain scenery, invoking an atmosphere of elegant simplicity and
refined dignity. Nanzenji is also home to a sanmon ( a great gate that holds importance within
Japanese Buddhist temples), an exquisite aqueduct known as Suirokaku and multiple sub-temples,
each with its own charm.
Only fifteen minutes away on foot, the garden at Murin-an is a late 19th century masterpiece built
from the naturalist view of gardens that prevailed at the time. The garden design uses the
surrounding mountain landscape and streams to produce a dynamic sense of motion. Murin-an
itself was once a private villa built by Meiji- and Taisho-era statesman Yamagata Aritomo, one of
the founding fathers of modern Japan. Today, it is a scenic paradise tucked away between busy
streets and larger famous sites. Also on the property is a small teahouse, as well as a two-story
traditional structure that serves as the main building and a Western-style building that contains
information about the garden’s designer, Ogawa Jihei.