Saiho-ji Moss garden in Kyoto
Ryoan-ji, Kyoto
Exploring the History of Japanese Gardens
Although landscaping and design is not one of my prime areas of interest, I particularly admire the spiritual and cultural aspects of Japanese Gardens. Often inspired by Zen, these meticulously designed spaces offer a pristine sanctuary for mindfulness and contemplation while celebrating Japanese culture’s deep connection with nature.
It is believed that the first garden in Japan was created on the island of Honshu around 600 A.D. These traditional gardens are created full of symbols and allegories and usually feature key elements of stone, water, islands and bridges, as well as vegetation to highlight different seasons, and buildings such as pagodas, tea houses and pavilions. Each type of garden was created for a specific purpose, such as entertainment and relaxation for feudal lords, strolling for emperors and royalty, or for spirituality and meditation for monks.
Touring these gardens with a private, expert local guide will elevate your experience and understanding of Japanese culture. Featured below are 10 of my favourite Japanese gardens and garden museums that provide an in-depth insight into Japan’s love and respect for nature.
1. Saiho-ji, Kyoto
A hidden gem amongst Kyoto’s innumerable gardens (and arguably one of its finest), visiting the garden of Saiho-ki is like stepping into an enchanting fairytale. Set in the picturesque Arashiyama mountains to the west of Kyoto and featuring more than 120 types of moss, this unique UNESCO World Heritage Site is popularly known as the Most Temple of Koke-dera.
Originally created in 1339 by the revered Zen priest, Muso Soseki, Saiho-ji has served as the inspiration for many of the city’s famous temples, including Kinkakuji (the Golden Pavilion) and Ginkakuji (the Silver Pavilion).
Visiting the temple and its garden during your holiday in Kyoto requires a good amount of luck, as advance reservation is required by post and visitors are selected using a lottery system. The best time to visit is either during monsoon or autumn, with the latter being my favourite season when the contrast between the bright red and orange maple leaves and lush green moss is just stunning.
2. Kenroku-en, Kanazawa
With remarkably well-preserved samurai and geisha districts, a bustling seafood market, incredible art museums and exquisite heritage gold-leaf artefacts, Kanazawa is one of my favourite cities to visit on a trip to Japan.
Touted as one of the most beautiful landscape gardens in Japan, Kenroku-en masterfully showcases the harmonious coexistence of the six Chinese attributes of perfection, evolving as the different seasons unfold. Built in the Edo period for the ruling Maeda family, Kenroku-en was turned into a public garden in 1871.
Home to the country’s oldest water fountain, the garden also features an iconic pond with surrounding panoramic views as well as an incredible variety of trees and plants. In spring, you can admire plum and cherry blossoms; in summer you’ll be rewarded with beautiful flowers and lush greenery; and during autumn there’s the amazing hues of red, orange and yellow from countless maple and cherry trees.
3. Adachi Museum of Art, Matsue
Described as a “living Japanese painting” this mesmerising complex was created by Adachi Zenko, a textile merchant with a passion for landscape gardening and Japanese art. Comprising an art museum surrounded by a variety of traditional Japanese gardens, the museum is a tribute to Adachi’s creative expression.
Showcasing Japan’s seasonal varieties, Adachi has six gardens spread across 165,000 square metres. As dedicated works of art, they can only be admired from the main museum building. This unique concept showcases the perfect harmony between the indoor and outdoor displays, allowing you to admire the gardens as you would a painting. Inside the museum, Adachi’s collection is considered to be amongst the finest in Japan and includes the works of many notable artists.
Kenroku-en, Kanazawa (©JNTO/Kanazawa City)
Adachi Museum of Art, Matsue (©JNTO/Shimane Prefectural Govnt)
Shinjuku Gyoen, Tokyo (©JNTO/Yasufumi Nishi)
Ginkaku-ji, Kyoto
Katsura Rikyu, Kyoto
“Touring these gardens with a private, expert local guide will elevate your experience and understanding of Japanese culture.”
4. Omiya Bonsai Art Museum & Village, Saitama
An intrinsic part of Japanese culture, the art of bonsai is a living art form which has become famous around the world. The Omiya Bonsai Art Museum and Omiya Bonsai Village, located just north of Tokyo, are amongst the finest places in the country to learn about the various styles and techniques that go into creating a bonsai masterpiece.
The Omiya Bonsai Art Museum is the world’s first museum solely devoted to the art of bonsai. It has an impressive collection of over 120 masterpieces, including some that are over 1,000 years old! The village is filled with bonsai nurseries and you can spend time with experts, learning how to grow and take care of bonsai works.
5. Tenyrū-ji, Kyoto
Formerly a private villa in the Heian period, Tenryu-ji is one of the oldest living temples in Kyoto. Created by the famous Zen master, Musō Soseki, this beautiful landscape garden features a central pond surrounded by rocks, pine trees and the forested Arashiyama mountains. Depending on the season, you can enjoy cherry blossoms, azaleas and autumn maple colours.
If you are a foodie like me, I would highly recommend trying the Zen Buddhist vegetarian cuisine known as shojin ryori at Shigetsu restaurant located on the temple grounds.
6. Shinjuku Gyoen, Tokyo
This large public park is one of my favourite places in Tokyo to enjoy the cherry blossoms. There are many interesting features within the park, including a traditional Japanese landscape garden, a French garden full of roses, an English landscape garden, sprawling lawns and a tropical greenhouse.
For me though, the main attraction of this park remains the cherry blossom with more than 400 trees blossoming between late March and early April turning the park into one of the city’s most popular and stunning hanami spots.
7. Ryoan-ji, Kyoto
Arguably the most famous rock garden in all of Japan, Ryoan-ji, Kyoto is an astonishing masterpiece that has been created using nothing but clay walls, raked sand and just 15 rocks. Its real beauty is in its simple yet highly complex design and the delicate balance of mass and void.
Another fascinating aspect is that it is impossible to view all fifteen rocks simultaneously from any angle of the garden. The current garden was recreated in 1797 after the original temple was destroyed in a fire and according to a print published in 1799, it has remained unchanged since that time. This is one of my favourite highlights of Kyoto.
Daitoku-ji, Kyoto
Adachi Museum of Art in Matsue
8. Ginkaku-ji (The Silver Pavilion), Kyoto
This iconic temple is one of Japan’s most famous and popular sights. Its stunning gardens consist of a beautiful moss garden with ponds, little streams and various plants and a dry sand garden called the “Sea of Silver Sand” with a huge sand cone named “Moon Viewing Platform.”
Located on the eastern hills of Kyoto, this tranquil and picturesque Zen temple was initially built by Ashikaga Yoshimasa, the grandson of the founder of Kinkaku-ji, as his retirement villa.
9. Daitoku-ji Temple, Kyoto
Daitoku-ji along with its numerous sub-temples is one of the main temples of the Rinzai school of Zen Buddhism. Of all the sub-temples, one of my favourites is the Daisen-in, which served as a training ground for the famous tea master, Sen no Rikyu.
Daisen-in has five beautifully maintained gardens that convey the Buddhist philosophy of one’s journey through life. Other fascinating sub-temples are Obai-in and Koto-in, which have extraordinary gardens that are particularly stunning in autumn with the maples at their resplendent best. In fact, Obai-in only allows visitors for a short period of time in November and the temple remains closed to the general public throughout the rest of the year.
10. Katsura Rikyu, Kyoto
Katsura Rikyu (Katsura Imperial Villa) is the former residence of the Katsura Family – members of Japan’s Imperial Family. Although visiting this garden is quite tricky, if you’re particularly interested in traditional garden design then it is considered to be one of the finest examples of a strolling garden in the country and definitely worth a visit.
The garden was originally designed for Prince Toshihito in the early Edo period and features various aspects related to the Japanese classic “Tale of the Genji”. It is filled with exemplary architecture including four of the original tea houses along with beautiful garden features such as stone lanterns, gates, stone pathways and a large pond.
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