The Garden

Murin-an was created by Ogawa Jihei VII between 1894-96 as a villa residence for Yamagata Aritomo. It was designated as a Place of Scenic Beauty in 1951. The garden features a bright and spacious lawn that centers around the “borrowed” external landscape of the Higashiyama Mountains and the gentle rhythm of a water stream incorporating water from the Lake Biwa Canal. Murin-an is considered one of the pioneers of Kyoto’s modern gardens.

Yamagata’s View of Gardens

Murin-an’s original owner, Yamagata Aritomo was a military general and well-known politician who twice served as prime minister of Japan. He was also a cultural connoisseur with a keenly developed sensitivity for gardens. The accounts of Murin-an that he left to posterity contain many hints about how to enjoy this garden’s scenic beauty.
At Murin-an, we hand our visitors cards with quotations by Yamagata printed on the back about what he treasured about his garden. Try reflecting on the card you get as you sit in the main house and gaze upon the garden. We give out five different versions of this card to give you a little something to look forward to every time you visit Murin-an.