Visit the garden villa of the once richest conglomerate in the country: the Mitsui clan. Located just outside the oldest forest in the country, Tadasu no Mori, the Mitsui Villa, was used by the family of Japan’s most prominent banking, real estate, kimono and beverage companies. Designed in the late 1800s, the three-story main wooden structure features a distinctive watchtower, while a stately tea room overlooking a garden features a gourd-shaped pond and a moss-covered winding path. Take it slow and enjoy Japanese confectioneries in this austere villa.

Located in the upscale neighbourhood of Ozaki and built in the late 1800s Murin-an is a villa garden owned by Arimoto Yamagata, advisor to the then-emperor and crafted by master gardener, Jihei Ogawa. This modern, serene garden excels at shakkei, the Japanese gardening concept of using the surrounding mountains not merely as a background, but as an important element in its design. We will learn about its design principals, how it has been maintained over the years as well as enjoy Japanese sweets while admiring this ever evolving landscape.

A living masterpiece, each pine tree and patch of moss meticulously shaped by the gardeners before your very eyes. Tairyu Sanso was designed in the late 1800s by master gardener Ogawa Jihei for Ijuin Kanetsune, a prominent businessman and garden, tea ceremony and architecture connoisseur with multiple Kyoto residences. Spanning approximately 6000 square meters, the vast grounds feature a pond, stream, tea path, waterfall, as well as am undisturbed view of the majestic Higashiyama mountains. Designated as a place of scenic beauty and open to the public only since 2024, let us fawn not only over Tairyu Sanso’s seasonal beauty but over the paintings by Yokoyama Taikan, displayed throughout adjourning buildings, built in modern Japanese style.