Step away from the bustle of Kyoto’s busy streets and into a hidden world where time slows, water flows, and nature reveals itself with quiet grace.

Begin your 90-minute guided experience at Murin-an, a garden estate that redefined Japanese landscape design in the modern era. Nestled at the base of Kyoto’s eastern Higashiyama hills, Murin-an was created in the Meiji period by statesman Yamagata Aritomo and designed by pioneering garden master Ogawa Jihei.

Depart from traditional inward-focused, abstract garden styles to explore a landscape that opens outward and embraces borrowed scenery, flowing water, and seasonal textures. As your English-speaking local guide leads you through this National Place of Scenic Beauty, walk moss-lined paths, hear the gentle sound of water drawn from the Lake Biwa Canal, and gain insight into how this tranquil garden reflects both natural harmony and historical transformation in Japan.

What makes Murin-an even more remarkable today is the work of modern gardeners who have lovingly and meticulously restored the landscape to its original 100-year-old design, preserving Ogawa’s vision not as a relic of the past, but as a living, breathing garden that still evolves with the seasons.

After the guided walk, enjoy a moment of quiet reflection at the garden café, sipping matcha or a seasonal drink and savoring a traditional sweet while gazing out over the serene pond and sculpted landscape, allowing the beauty of Murin-an to fully sink in.