KATSURA IMPERIAL VILLA:
Katsura Gion, Nishikyo Ward, Kyoto City, Kyoto Prefecture, JAPAN
Filmed on 2023/03
Links to videos of the other Japanese Gardens in KYOTO:
MIREI SHIGEMORI GARDEN MUSEUM :
HAKUSASONSO HASHIMOTO KANSETSU GARDEN & MUSEUM
NANZENIN
KANCHIIN
Playlist : Japanese Gardens
website :
https://jgc28.my.canva.site/
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The tour of Katsura Imperial Villa is tarted from this Miyuki-path Can you recognize the slight offset between the path and the back edge? This technique makes the path longer and thus makes the garden seem larger. Miyuki-path is paved with stones using the "arare-koboshi" technique. After passing through Miyuki-path, the first thing you will see is a waiting area called "Sotokoshikake” This is the waiting area attached to the teahouse called Shoko-tei, which we will visit later. Stone lantern and stone stone wash basin next to the waiting area Can you see the square shape of the water pool in the wash basin? Because linear elements like this can be seen everywhere, it was once thought that this garden was created by Enshu Kobori, who is said to have "introduced the use of straight lines into the Japanese garden. Stone paving in front of the waiting area The style that combines natural stone and quarried stone is called ”Gyou”. This is a stone pavement composed entirely of natural stone and is called ”So” Each visiters group will be guided on a tour of this garden, with a guide explaining the facilities Across from the waiting area is called Sycamore Mountain This tropical planting was popular during this period as an exotic Since there are rules regarding video and photography during the tour, so most of the footage in this video is taken from a stationary position at each point. Stone lantern at the end of the path extending from the front of the waiting area. A view called "Amanohashidate ” Some people consider this place as one of the most beautiful garden sceneries in Japan. The building in front, called Shoin, was under maintenance, so the atmosphere of the landscape was spoiled. ＊The maintenance have already been completed. The foreground is called "suhama", a Japanese garden technique used to imitate a waterfront and highlight the beauty of the water landscape. At the tip of the "suhama" is a stone lantern called a cape lantern. The tea house in the back is called Shokintei. The straight bridge called Shirakawa Bridge in front of Shokintei. This bridge is made of granite. Along with this bridge, the name of Kobori Enshu the famous Japanese landscape gardener is often seen, but the prevailing academic opinions today is that Katsura Imperial Villa was not designed by Kobori Enshu. East side of Shokintei Although it was off-limits when we visited, there is an arbor called "Manji-tei" in the back. Interior of Shokintei If you want to see only the garden, skip to 4:04. Some people visit Katsura Imperial Villa to see the buildings and its interior, not the garden. Room called Ichinoma on the north side The painting on the storage cabinet was painted by a famous Japanese painter named Kanou Tanyu. The view in front of Shokintei "Hotaru Bridge" is to the left of the pine trees, and "Tsukimi Bridge" is further to the left across an island. It is a long and quiet landscape, but as mentioned above, the guide always uses a loudspeaker to give explanations, so there is no silence during the tour. Personally, I feel that the explanation of the background and techniques of the garden makes the tour 100 times more interesting, so I prefer a guides explanation rather than silence. We cannot choose whether or not to have a guide at Katsura Imperial Villa , but even if I can, I always ask for a guide. Katsura Imperial Villa is considered a masterpiece of Japanese gardening, and the late Elizabeth II visited the site in 1975. Although many Japanese gardens have been damaged by earthquakes and wartime bombing, this garden has been almost completely restored to its original state. Pass by the stone lantern called "Mizubotaru Lantern" to get to Shokatei. Katsura Imperial Villa has teahouses for each season, and Shokatei is a teahouse for enjoying spring The north side of the building is open to the pond side for a view and an open composition that blends in with the surrounding greenery. If you continue on from Shokatei, you will come to Enrindo. The stepping stones made of square stones on the side of Rnrindo are characterized by the rhythm of their arrangement. This is also a setup by the side of Enrindo. The "ararezushi" is also set up in a straight line. Stone lantern in front of Shoi-ken At first glance, it looks like an ordinary stone lantern, but when you look at it from a different angle… This lantern is called Sankaku lantern, and sankaku means "rectangle" in Japanese We are now in front of the Houi-ken, a teahouse for enjoying the summer. The Stone paving here are also magnificent, and personally, this was the most impressive part of my visit. The water basin under the eaves is called "Ukizuki" It is currently filled with pebbles, but it is so named because the moon is reflected in it on a moonlit night when it is filled with water. ”Ukizuki" means "floating moon" in Japanese. View from a teahouse called Gepparou for enjoying autumn Shokin-tei can be seen at the back of the pond, which was identified earlier The Stone paving leading to the Shikyotei direction that we saw earlier from Gepparou. At the time of my visit, it was closed, so I could only see it but could not pass through it. As in the path seen at the beginning of the movie, the steps and the bridge are intentionally shifted to increase the sense of perspective. Stone paving can be seen in many Japanese gardens, while only gardens related to the imperial family can have such long steps. Let’s look at the bridge in the back from another angle. The arches are earthen bridges made of wood and mud. The repair of the building called "Shoin" was already finished last fall, so visitors can enjoy the original beautiful view of the garden now. Stone lanterns, said to be the most beautiful in Kyoto If you like this video, please subscribe and give it a thumbs up👍. Thank you for watching!