Yoshikien Garden – A Green Oasis In The Heart Of Nara

What is Yoshikien Garden?

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Yoshikien Garden is a Japanese garden located in Nara Prefecture. It was constructed in 1919. It is composed of three gardens; Pond Garden, made with a pond at its center, Moss Garden, a garden covered in haircap moss, and the Tea Flower Garden where simple flowers, used to decorate the seats of sado tea gatherings, are grown.

The entire garden uses Mount Kasuga and Mount Wakakusa as Shakkei (*1) for an enjoyable dynamic view. A tea house with an elegant Kayabuki (*2) has been built in the Moss Garden and can be rented for tea gatherings (12,340 yen and up for three hours, please make reservations through this phone number 0742-22-5911).

This article will introduce everything you need to know about Yoshikien Gardens before visiting.

*1 Shakkei: a Japanese garden technique that makes it seem as if far-off mountains and buildings are a part of the garden.
*2 Kayabuki: the roof of a building made with materials such as susuki grass, Japanese bloodgrass, etc.

Information

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The garden is open from 9:00 – 17:00 (final entry is at 16:30). Tourists visiting Japan can enter for free (a type of certification such as a passport is necessary). The general entry fee is 250 yen for adults (high school students and older) and 120 yen for children (elementary school students and older).

The garden itself is closed from February 15th until the end of the month. The tea house is closed from December 28th until January 4th.