Shugaku-in Rikyu

Emperor Go-mizuno abdicated his throne at the tender age of 34 to focus on aesthetic pursuits, including the creation of this 28ha villa. During his reign (1611-29), he was in regular conflict with the shogun (the true holder of power at the time), but on his abdication he received funding from the Tokugawas to create this exquisite landscape. One of Kyoto’s best examples of ‘borrowed scenery’, it incorporates a moun-tainous panorama into the view from the garden’s upper level. Visits are by appointment only.