The beauty of Kyoto's gardens extends beyond the World Heritage sites of Kinkaku-ji and Ginkaku-ji. As a garden enthusiast who lived in Kyoto for two years, I want to share some serene gardens known only to locals—while they may not attract as many tourists, they better embody the Japanese garden philosophy of "seeing the vast from the small."
These gardens share a common trait: they are not located in the bustling Arashiyama or Kiyomizu-dera area, but rather in the transitional zones between temples and residential areas in the city outskirts. I recommend visiting in the early morning—not only can you avoid the crowds, but you can also experience the garden slowly waking up in the morning light. This is the unique Japanese garden concept of "morning bath," where the humidity and light at sunrise best reveal the designer's original intent.
【Recommended Gardens】
Daitoku-ji Zuishozan (Daitoku-ji Temple)
Within the Daitoku-ji area are several small gardens, and Zuishozan's focus is a "valley" image created by moss and stone arrangements. The garden is very small (about 50 square meters), but the stone placement uses visual perspective to create a sense of depth—a brilliant demonstration of the borrowed scenery technique. The moss here is extremely well-maintained, feeling as soft as carpet. Admission ¥500, open 8:00-17:00 (winter until 16:30). A 30-minute visit is recommended, but no one will rush you if you sit and daydream.
Genko-an (Entoku-in Temple)
A small temple near the Keage Railway, the garden theme is "enlightenment," using stone arrangements and pruned trees to create abstract life imagery. Most special are their "window views"—several washi paper sliding door frames within the grounds divide the garden into flowing paintings. This concept is similar to the "segmented scene" in Chinese landscape painting and is relatively rare in Japanese gardens. Admission ¥400, crowds are usually only one-tenth of Kinkaku-ji's.
Shisendo (Shisendo Tengan-ji Temple)
A strolling garden built along the hillside, the focus is not the expansive pond spring, but the stone arrangements and plantings along both sides of the access path. Shisendo's name comes from poetry tablets of 36 Chinese poets including Li Bai, and the garden design carries the influence of Chinese literati gardens—emphasizing "to wander and dwell," not for distant observation, but for you to walk into. This characteristic is relatively rare among Kyoto's tourist gardens. Admission ¥500,tea ticket included can be exchanged for matcha and wagashi.
Manju-ji (Manju-ji Monzeki)
A Shingon temple at the foot of Mount Hiei features a large pond strolling garden. Its specialty is the color contrast between "red pine and green moss"—in autumn and winter after leaves fall, the pine tree silhouettes become beautiful, forming a striking contrast with the verdant moss. Fewer foreign visitors, almost all are young Japanese women studying tea ceremony. Admission ¥600, the relatively rare "kinzu" shaped red seal is a collection target for many Japanese garden enthusiasts.
【Practical Information】
Regarding transportation, all the above gardens can be reached on foot from the Kyoto Municipal Subway "Keage" station, one-way ¥290. The distances between gardens are not far, making a half-day walking route ideal.
Regarding costs, admission ranges from ¥400-600, more affordable compared to mainstream World Heritage gardens that cost ¥1000 or more. Some gardens offer discounts for international tourists; showing your passport provides ¥100 off.
Most gardens are open 8:00-17:00, extended in summer, closed earlier in winter. I recommend avoiding 12:00-14:00 mealtime, when gardens are the emptiest.
【Travel Tips】
While these gardens are smaller in scale, the "seeing the vast from the small" design philosophy is precisely the essence of Japanese gardens. When visiting,，不妨放慢腳步，坐在緣側（走廊）上發呆——這才是正確的日本庭園體驗方式，而非趕時間拍照打卡的「景點蒐集」。另外，這些庭園的參道狹窄，請遵守「路右側通行」的禮儀規範。
近年中國、日本外交關係波動影響了主要觀光地的遊客量，但這些小眾庭園反而因為團體客少而成為新的體驗熱點——或許這也是一種另類的「防疫」：分散參觀減少人群聚集的風險，同時獲得更深度的文化體驗。
