Today's garden is one from Japan. It's the Katsura Imperial Villa in western Kyoto, Japan. Completed in 1645, it is the residence of the Katsura family, who are members of Japan's Imperial Family.
Seeing this place is not easy. You must make reservations for a limited number of tours that are given by the Imperial Household Agency. The tours last about one hour and are in Japanese. You don't speak Japanese? That's okay. You can get an English audio guide. They are very strict about following the rules - you must stay with the group on the path, and you are only allowed to take pictures at designated areas.
That said, the garden is really lovely. Visitors will see a pond, bamboo, four tea houses, and a lovely arched wooden bridge called a "Dobashi."
The agency is open Monday - Friday from 8:45 - 12:00 and 1:00- 5:00 PM. Tours are held during these times, but you may be able to get a Saturday tour. No tours are ever given on Sunday, and I would venture to guess that no tours are being held during the COVID pandemic.
Seeing this place is not easy. You must make reservations for a limited number of tours that are given by the Imperial Household Agency. The tours last about one hour and are in Japanese. You don't speak Japanese? That's okay. You can get an English audio guide. They are very strict about following the rules - you must stay with the group on the path, and you are only allowed to take pictures at designated areas.
That said, the garden is really lovely. Visitors will see a pond, bamboo, four tea houses, and a lovely arched wooden bridge called a "Dobashi."
The agency is open Monday - Friday from 8:45 - 12:00 and 1:00- 5:00 PM. Tours are held during these times, but you may be able to get a Saturday tour. No tours are ever given on Sunday, and I would venture to guess that no tours are being held during the COVID pandemic.
Before I go, I would like to let you know about the release of my latest book, Bubba and Squirt's Mayan Adventure. I'm on tour with MC Tours for the month of September and October. If you would like to follow along and have a chance to win an autographed copy, you can go here.