Murin-an Garden
Strolling Meiji-era garden of canal-fed streams and a waterfall, framing distant hills as scenery.
Location
About this audio guide
This guide to Murin-an Garden in Kyoto opens on an April afternoon in 1903, when four of Meiji Japan's most powerful men, including retired field marshal Yamagata Aritomo, shut themselves in a small room above the garden with no secretaries and no official record. It traces why Yamagata built this canal-fed garden of streams, a waterfall and open lawns specifically for private conversation, and what the design was meant to hide from view. Notice how the open sightlines leave nowhere for anyone to eavesdrop.
This audio guide was created using AI.
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