Shugakuin Imperial Villa, Kyoto

After living here for years, I finally visited Shugakuin Imperial Villa in northeastern Kyoto. Last year, friends from Singapore went on a tour of the villa and loved it, but they were surprised that we had never made a visit. We had heard about it, of course, and had walked along the perimeter many times with a friend who lives in the area. However, since you need to apply to visit, it just never happened. Our friends' enthusiasm finally prompted us to make the trip and so on a very cold, windy day in mid-November, off we went. Despite the chilly weather, we thoroughly enjoyed our visit! The gardens were spectacular, and the views were breathtaking. We could even see Harukas, located in southern Osaka, in the far distance!

Shugakuin Imperial Villa is known as a "detached palace," which translates to "imperial villa." It covers 133 acres and includes three separate gardens that are considered cultural treasures. There are no large buildings; most of the structures are teahouses. The villa is managed by the Imperial Household Agency, and an application is required to participate in the 90-minute tour.

For more information, visit the official webpage: https://sankan.kunaicho.go.jp/english/guide/shugakuin.html (The video on the webpage is the one that visitors watch while they wait for the tour to begin.)

The view from the beginning of the tour. Those are sheaves of rice drying rice in the field, and you can see Kyoto in the distance.

View from the Upper Villa looking out over the hills of Kyoto Prefecture. Apparently, this view has not changed in 400 years.

Boat house, pond and garden, Upper Villa

Garden, pond and teahouse, Upper Villa (The photo of the view from the Upper Villa was taken from the teahouse on the far left.)

Fall foliage, Upper Villa