Garden and landscape design is an art form that has helped define the aesthetics of Japan for centuries. By knowingly shaping their gardens, both emperors and nobles have recreated miniature landscapes with a level of precision and idealization that has made garden design a staple of Japanese culture. With its high ratio of well-preserved temples, Kyoto has always been the perfect environment for seeing a wide variety of garden styles. During our three-hour walking tour, we will focus on garden design during the Muromachi period, which saw a flourishing of Japanese culture, including the creation of Zen Buddhism.

We begin this walk at the dazzling Kinkaku-ji (the Golden Pavilion). This Zen Buddhist temple was, in fact, first used as a private villa by Shogun Ashikaga Yoshimitsu, who purchased the land and transformed it into his home in the 14th century. The lush gardens allow us to delve into villa garden design during the Muromachi period, which ran from approximately 1337 to 1573. Aside from dissecting the various natural elements used to create the gardens, we'll also discuss how these spaces were used for contemplation and entertainment, and how these uses changed as the space transformed from a private villa to a Buddhist temple.

Moving on, we'll hop on the bus to two important Kyoto attractions and excellent examples of Zen rock gardens. The Karesansui Garden at Ryoan-ji is a prime example of dry Zen gardens, giving great contrast to the water used at Kinkaku-ji. The stylized landscape created from gravel and rocks represents an alternative garden type from the Muromachi Period and exemplifies the type of design one finds at Zen Buddhist temples.

Ninna-ji, our final Kyoto garden destination, gives us the means to compare earlier landscape design against the later Muromachi period. The covered walkways of the Goten, former residence of the head priest, were modeled on an Imperial style and feature painted sliding doors that mirror the surrounding landscape. Ninna-ji contains both dry gardens and gardens with water features, tying together the principles we've discussed during our walk and serving as a suitable stop to end our walk.

At the end of this tour, we will come away with a deeper understanding of how Japanese gardens and landscapes reflect a wider philosophy and culture.