Garden · Okazaki / Nanzen-ji

Murin-an 無鄰菴

The Okazaki villa garden of Meiji statesman Yamagata Aritomo, by Ogawa Jihei: a grassy, flowing garden borrowing the Higashiyama hills, with a famous Western-style meeting room.

About

Murin-an was built between 1894 and 1896 as the Kyoto villa of Yamagata Aritomo, prime minister and architect of Japan's modern army. Its garden, created by Ogawa Jihei VII following Yamagata's ideas, broke with tradition: lawns instead of moss, a stream fed by the Lake Biwa Canal and rapids over flat stones, with the Higashiyama hills as borrowed scenery. It is considered the starting point of modern Japanese gardens. The grounds include a main house where you can order matcha looking onto the garden, a teahouse and a two-storey brick Western building whose second-floor room, with painted Kano school walls, hosted the 1903 Murin-an Conference that set Japan's policy toward Russia. Entry is limited per hour, with advance online booking recommended and dynamic pricing.

Highlights

• Ogawa Jihei garden with lawns and canal-fed streams
• Borrowed scenery of the Higashiyama hills
• Matcha in the main house overlooking the garden
• Western building of the 1903 Murin-an Conference
• Free 10-minute guide included

Tips

• Book online: entry is limited to about 30 people per hour.
• Prices change by day under dynamic pricing; weekday mornings are cheaper.
• Early-morning meditation sessions are offered in summer.
• It is a 5-minute walk from Keage Station, near Nanzen-ji.

Open in Google Maps · Info checked 2026-10-09

Nearby

• Lake Biwa Canal MuseumMuseum · 100 m away
• FUFU KyotoStay · 120 m away
• Kyoto City ZooZoo & Aquarium · 220 m away
• Nanzenji JunseiRestaurant · 270 m away
• Kyoto Museum of Crafts and DesignMuseum · 300 m away
• OkakitaRestaurant · 360 m away
• Keage InclinePhoto Spot · 380 m away
• The Westin Miyako KyotoStay · 390 m away