is a

Japanese garden are traditional gardens whose designs are accompanied by Japanese aesthetics and philosophical ideas, avoid artificial ornamentation, and highlight the natural landscape. Plants and worn, aged materials are generally used by Japanese garden desig ...

Kyoto Kyoto ( or ; Japanese language, Japanese: , ''Kyōto'' ), officially , is the capital city of Kyoto Prefecture in the Kansai region of Japan's largest and most populous island of Honshu. , the city had a population of 1.46 million, making it t ...

, owned by political and military leader '' Gensui''

Prince A prince is a male ruler (ranked below a king, grand prince, and grand duke) or a male member of a monarch's or former monarch's family. ''Prince'' is also a title of nobility (often highest), often hereditary, in some European states. The ...

Yamagata Aritomo Prince was a Japanese politician and general who served as prime minister of Japan from 1889 to 1891, and from 1898 to 1900. He was also a leading member of the '' genrō'', a group of senior courtiers and statesmen who dominated the politics ...

, designed by Ogawa Jihei and built between 1894 and 1898. It is an example of a classical Japanese promenade garden of the

Meiji Period The was an era of Japanese history that extended from October 23, 1868, to July 30, 1912. The Meiji era was the first half of the Empire of Japan, when the Japanese people moved from being an isolated feudal society at risk of colonizatio ...

History

'' Gensui''

(1838–1922) was an important figure in the politics and military affairs of the Meiji Period. Born into an old

samurai The samurai () were members of the warrior class in Japan. They were originally provincial warriors who came from wealthy landowning families who could afford to train their men to be mounted archers. In the 8th century AD, the imperial court d ...

family and devoted to military affairs, he traveled to Europe in 1869 as part of a delegation of experts to study the Prussian Army, and when he returned he helped re-organize the

Imperial Japanese Army The Imperial Japanese Army (IJA; , ''Dai-Nippon Teikoku Rikugun'', "Army of the Greater Japanese Empire") was the principal ground force of the Empire of Japan from 1871 to 1945. It played a central role in Japan’s rapid modernization during th ...

on the Prussian model. He became Minister of War in 1873, and was twice

Prime Minister of Japan The is the head of government of Japan. The prime minister chairs the Cabinet of Japan and has the ability to select and dismiss its ministers of state. The prime minister also serves as the commander-in-chief of the Japan Self-Defense Force ...

, from 1889 to 1891 and from 1898 to 1900. The completion in 1890 of the

Lake Biwa Canal is a historic waterway in Japan connecting Lake Biwa to the nearby City of Kyoto. Constructed during the Meiji Period the canal was originally designed for the transportation of lake water for drinking, irrigation and industrial purposes, but a ...

brought a plentiful source of fresh water to the

Nanzen-ji , or Zuiryusan Nanzen-ji, formerly , is a Zen Buddhist temple in Kyoto, Japan. Emperor Kameyama established it in 1291 on the site of his previous detached palace. It is also the headquarters of the Nanzen-ji branch of Rinzai Zen. The precinct ...

temple domain area in Kyoto. Yamagata, who was a great lover of gardens, purchased land in the area and made plans to build a villa and garden using water from the canal and it's associated irrigation network. The then

Count Count (feminine: countess) is a historical title of nobility in certain European countries, varying in relative status, generally of middling rank in the hierarchy of nobility. Pine, L. G. ''Titles: How the King Became His Majesty''. New York: ...

Yamagata (he was elevated in the ''

Kazoku The was the hereditary peerage of the Empire of Japan, which existed between 1869 and 1947. It was formed by merging the feudal lords (''Daimyo, daimyō'') and court nobles (''kuge'') into one system modelled after the British peerage. Distin ...

'' to being a

Marquis A marquess (; ) is a nobleman of high hereditary rank in various European peerages and in those of some of their former colonies. The German-language equivalent is Markgraf (margrave). A woman with the rank of a marquess or the wife (or wido ...

in August 1895, and a

in September 1907) began work on the gardens in 1894, but stopped shortly afterwards due to his involvement in the

First Sino-Japanese War The First Sino-Japanese War (25 July 189417 April 1895), or the First China–Japan War, was a conflict between the Qing dynasty of China and the Empire of Japan primarily over influence in Joseon, Korea. In Chinese it is commonly known as th ...

. Yamagata ordered work to resume when the war was finished this time enlisting the help of the notable garden designer Ogawa Jihei (1860–1933), also known as Ueji, who had built the garden of the recreated

Kyoto Imperial Palace The is the former palace of the Emperor of Japan, located in Kamigyō-ku, Kyoto, Japan. Since the Meiji Restoration in 1869, the Emperors have resided at the Tokyo Imperial Palace, while the preservation of the Kyoto Imperial Palace was ordered ...

nearby. In addition to the garden, he built a tea house, a traditional Japanese house, and a modern western-style house, complete with a lawn in the English style, added in 1898.

Description

The garden is sited on the slopes of the Higashiyama Hills, and has a source of water by a canal from

Lake Biwa is the largest freshwater lake in Japan. It is located entirely within Shiga Prefecture (west-central Honshu), northeast of the former capital city of Kyoto. Lake Biwa is an ancient lake, over 4 million years old. It is estimated to be the 13 ...

, the largest lake in Japan, which feeds a shallow artificial stream, with a triple waterfall which runs through the garden. The garden covers 3135 square meters and features contrasts between shady forests and sunlit open spaces, and a long promenade to see the different sights of the garden, including many views of the Higashiyama Hills.Elisseeff. Pages 106-109. File:Murin-an, Kyoto - IMG 5139.JPG, Garden path in Murin-an File:Murin-an, Kyoto - IMG 5103.JPG, Corner of the residence in Murin-an File:Murin-an, Kyoto - IMG 5113.JPG, Residence in Murin-an File:Murin-an, Kyoto - IMG 5140.JPG, Teahouse at Murin-an File:Murin-an, Kyoto - IMG 5106.JPG, Garden view with bridge in Murin-an

References

Bibliography

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External links

Murin-an official website

{{in lang, ja Buildings and structures in Kyoto Gardens in Kyoto Prefecture Important Cultural Properties of Japan Tourist attractions in Kyoto