Murin-an, Kyoto

Murin-an is a Japanese house and garden built between 1894-1898 by Aritomo Yamagata, an Elder Statesman, and advisor to the emperor, from the Meiji and Taisho Period. In 1941, the Yamagata family donated Murin-an to Kyoto City and in 1951 it was designated as a National Place of Scenic Beauty, which led to its current popularity.  Jihei Ogawa created the garden under Aritomo’s instructions. The garden’s central point is the Higashiyama Mountains in the background with a spacious and bright open lawn area. The water flowing in this naturalistic scenic garden is from the Lake Biwa Canal.  This grand residence was a pioneer in creating the cluster of private residences in the Nanzen-ji Temple neighbourhood.