Shōseien Garden

This guide to Shoseien Garden in Kyoto traces a retreat built in 1641 for a temple priest's family, designed with the poet Ishikawa Jozan, that burned twice during the civil unrest of the 1850s and 60s and was rebuilt through the late nineteenth century. It follows the garden's later role hosting VIP guests, including Emperor Meiji, and the kikoku hedge that gave it its other name. Look up past the willows and wooden bridge for Kyoto Tower rising over the rooftops.