Katsura Imperial Villa in Ozu! Garyu Sanso, a famous architecture that embodies Japanese beauty

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Garyu Sanso, located in Ozu City, Ehime Prefecture, is the pinnacle of teahouse architecture that anyone who loves Japanese architecture should not miss. It is a building that has been visited and highly praised by famous architects such as Kisho Kurokawa and Kengo Kuma, and was built with careful attention to harmony with the beauty of nature. Why not fully enjoy the beauty of Japanese architecture that has been passed down in Ozu, also known as Little Kyoto?

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Ozu City, Ehime Prefecture

Ozu City is located in the western part of Shikoku, in the region known as Nanyo, and is an area centered around the Ozu Basin, facing the Seto Inland Sea to the north and the Shikoku Mountains to the south. The clear Hijikawa River flows through the center of the city, and as its name suggests, the river curves like an elbow as it runs through the town, bringing many blessings to the city, including nature, history, culture, and local specialties. Remnants of the city's prosperity as a castle town around Ozu Castle during the Edo period still live on the banks of the Hijikawa River.

Table of Contents
What is Garyu Sanso, a masterpiece of teahouse architecture?
Enjoy the beautiful Japanese garden and architectural beauty! Three highlights
Let's go and enjoy the treasure trove of Japanese architectural beauty

When you come to Garyu Sanso, we recommend staying at NIPPONIA HOTEL Ozu Castle Town. If you are staying overnight, please also refer to the article below.

NIPPONIA HOTEL Ozu Castle Town: Charms and Unique Experiences
Ehime

Uwajima・Ozu

Check out the official website of “NIPPONIA HOTEL Ozu Castle Town”

What is Garyu Sanso, a masterpiece of teahouse architecture?

Garyu Sanso is a 3,000-tsubo mountain villa overlooking the most scenic spot in the Hijigawa River basin, ``Garyu-buchi''. The interior consists of the main buildings Garyuin, Chishian, and Furouan. The mountain villa, built to protect the tea ceremony culture, has become a masterpiece of Sukiya architecture that embodies the beauty of Japan, and continues to teach people how to enjoy Japan's four seasons.

Garyu Sanso

795-0012 411-2 Ozu, Ozu City, Ehime Prefecture

Garyu Sanso is a 10,000m2 mountain villa overlooking Garyu-buchi, the most scenic spot in the Hijikawa River basin. It is said that Kato Yasutsune, the third lord of the Ozu domain, named it Garyu (Garyu) because Mt. Horai resembles a dragon lying down. 　The three buildings, Garyu-in, Furo-an and Chito-an, are all masterpieces of refined taste, and the borrowed landscape garden, which incorporates the mountains and the natural scenery of the Hijikawa River and Nyohoji Riverbank, displays an elegant harmony between nature and man-made, and shows different faces with each season. 　It can be said that the almost forgotten "spirit of tea" and "spirit of Japan" still live on in the charming views from the garden and Garyu Sanso.

Equipment outline

[Business hours] 9:00-17:00 (Admission until 16:30) / Open all year round

[Admission fee] Adults ¥550, children ¥220 (junior high school students and under)

[Access information] 5 minutes by car or 20 minutes walk from JR Iyo-Ozu Station

Enjoy the beautiful Japanese garden and architectural beauty! Three highlights

Garyuin

It is said that Garyu-in took 10 years to conceptualize and 4 years to construct, and its design was carefully thought out to ensure harmony with the surrounding nature. Designed by a tea room architect and a famous carpenter from Kyoto, it is a masterpiece of architecture that encapsulates the traditional beauty of Japan with outstanding technology.
Garyu-in has four rooms: ``Geirei-no-ma'', ``Seibuki-no-ma'', ``Ichize-no-ma'', and ``Katsuki-no-ma'', and each room has hidden craftwork themed around Japan's four seasons. I am.

Chichoan

Chicho-an was a building built as a bathroom at the same time as Garyu-in, but the interior was remodeled and used as a tea room.

Furo-an is built on top of a river cliff in the Sukiya-zukuri style, making the hermitage look like a boat floating on the river.
The ceiling is made of a single layer and is shaped like the bottom of a ship, and when the moon rises, the moonlight reflected on the river below the hermitage is reflected on the ceiling, brightening the room. .

Furoan

Furo-an is built on top of a river cliff in the Sukiya-zukuri style, making the hermitage look like a boat floating on the river. The ceiling is made of a single layer and is shaped like the bottom of a ship, and when the moon rises, the moonlight reflected on the river below the hermitage is reflected on the ceiling, brightening the room. .

Let's go and enjoy the treasure trove of Japanese architectural beauty

Please come and enjoy the charm of the architectural beauty that Ozu has preserved while feeling the pleasant breeze of the Hijikawa River at Garyu Sanso!

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Ozu City, Ehime Prefecture

Ehime

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