Isuien Garden
Isuien Garden, A Quiet Stroll Garden In Nara That Uses Mount Wakakusa And The Todai Ji Roof As Borrowed Scenery, In Two Parts (The Front Garden From The Edo Period And The Rear From The Meiji Period), With Tea Houses And A Small Museum. Calm After The Deer Park. · Nara, Nara
Isuien is a quiet stroll garden in Nara, beside Todai-ji, and its name is commonly read as garden by the water - confirm. It has two parts. The front garden dates from around 1670, in the Edo period - confirm - and the rear garden from 1899, in the Meiji period - confirm. Together they hold ponds, stepping stones, moss, a lawn, cherry trees and maples, and they use the roofs of Todai-ji and Mount Wakakusa as borrowed scenery - confirm - so the temple and the hill seem to belong to the garden. Two tea houses, Sanshu-tei and Hyoshin-tei - confirm - serve matcha, and the Neiraku Art Museum next door shows Chinese and Korean ceramics - confirm. It suits quiet walkers and tea lovers, and a ticket is required. It is worth an hour after the deer park, and not worth the fee if you only have time for the big temples. It is a gentle, mostly flat visit and rarely has queues, even in busy seasons, so it suits older relatives.
74 Suimoncho, Nara, a short walk from Todai-ji and Kintetsu-Nara Station, Nara, Nara, Japan
The garden commonly opens from about 9:30 and closes around 16:30, with last entry about 30 minutes earlier - confirm. It closes on Tuesday in some seasons, and for a few days at New Year and during exhibition changes - confirm. A ticket is required, with a combined ticket for the garden and the Neiraku Museum available. It is a short walk from Todai-ji and from Kintetsu-Nara Station. IC cards work on trains, while cash is needed at the gate and tea houses.