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Okochi Sanso Garden, Kyoto

The Arashiyama area in Kyoto needs no introduction. The Tenryu-ji Temple, the bamboo forest, the famous Togetsu-kyo Bridge are all beautiful places to delight, especially in the fall. There is only one problem, they attract too many tourists and, as a rule, are always crowded.

But there are also quieter places in Arashiyama where you can admire the stunning gardens and nature. Such as Okochi Sanso, the villa of the famous 20th century actor Okochi Denjiro. He worked in the theater and also acted in films, including the famous films of Akiro Kurosawa. Okochi Denjiro played mainly in samurai action films, but some of his roles were comedic.

At the age of 34, he acquired a plot on the top of Mount Kameyama (opposite Mount Ogurayama), where he decided to build a cottage and subsequently to move there. However, he began construction not from the house, but from the temple. The fact is that in 1923, when Okochi Denjiro was 27 years old, he survived an earthquake in Tokyo. In terms of the scale of destruction and the number of victims, it is the most devastating in the history of Japan. After that, the actor had a dream to build a temple where he could spend time in meditation and prayer.

We arrived at this wonderful place at the end of November, when the gardens in Kyoto have a special charm from the reddening maples. From the entrance you need to follow a path through the forest.

Okochi Sanso Garden

If you turn left, you can reach a kind of exhibition of photographs and posters dedicated to Okochi Denjiro.

Okochi Sanso Garden

Okochi Sanso Garden

Okochi Sanso Garden

There is a covered bench nearby.

Okochi Sanso Garden

The main road goes to the right, to the tea pavilion. The ticket price includes a cup of matcha tea with sweets. Therefore, in this place, as a rule, you can see a crowd of people.

Okochi Sanso Garden

Okochi Sanso Garden

When the weather is good, everyone prefers to sit outside. However, in case of rain, you can move to the pavilion and admire from the windows a very romantic view of the bamboo grove.

Okochi Sanso Garden

Okochi Sanso Garden

After drinking tea, visitors head to the middle Chumon Gate, built in 1941, what separate the inner garden from the outer. This gate is wooden, and the roof is covered with cypress bark. To the left of the entrance is a large stone lantern, to the right is a statue of Buddha Amida. Truly, this time of the year it is extremely beautiful here!

Okochi Sanso Garden

Okochi Sanso Garden

It should be noted that the garden was designed by Okochi Denjiro himself, together with the gardener Toshibei Hiroshe. The construction of the garden and the villa continued for thirty years. It is said that most of the money the actor earned for his roles was invested in this estate. The most difficult was digging a well. Since the villa is located on the top of a mountain, it was necessary to dig deep enough to get to the aquifer. As a result, the well is so deep that if you threw a stone into it, you had to count to seven or eight before you heard the sound of a stone falling into the water.

Okochi Denjiro called his residence as Daijo-kaku , or "House of Mahayana" (Mahayana is one of the main branches of Buddhism). The building boldly combines elements of several architectural styles: shoin-zukuri, sukiya-zukuri and shinden-zukuri. The villa has been designed to provide the most spectacular mountain view from here.

Okochi Sanso Garden

There is a pagoda and torii gate to the right of the house. They can be seen if you enlarge the photo. However, they are best seen in winter, when the foliage of maple trees has fallen off.

Pines, maples, ginkgo and cherry trees allow you to admire the surrounding view all year round. Each season shows off the beauty of the garden in its own way. To our visit, the sakura trees were already without foliage, and the main role was played by bright maples, emphasized by the greenery of fluffy pines, as well as a huge ginkgo tree, spreading as a golden cap against a gray sky.

Okochi Sanso Garden

Okochi Sanso Garden

Climbing the stone stairs located to the left of the building, we found there the observation deck, from where a view of the city, lying in the arms of the mountains, opens. In the past the owner of the house admired this view from the windows facing the side opposite from the entrance.

Okochi Sanso Garden

Then we had to follow the road leading to the Jibutsu-do temple. As I already mentioned, the villa’s entire history originated here at this Shrine. During working at the studios, Okochi Denjiro often visited this humble shrine and found inspiration through meditation and prayers.

On the way, in a thicket of bushes, a small pagoda is hidden.

Okochi Sanso Garden

And finally, among the maples and pines, we saw a small building. The shrine looks very modest, perhaps only the roof in the irimoya style (a style that came from China in the 6th century) stands out.

Okochi Sanso Garden

Okochi Sanso Garden

The temple surrounded by dry garden. The main plants here are low pines. A dry stream of light pebbles flows between them.

Okochi Sanso Garden

Okochi Sanso Garden

Okochi Sanso Garden

In the southern part of the garden there is another building, the Tekisui-an tea house. After the temple, we went there. The outlines of the house are already noticeable from afar, through a gap in dense thickets.

Okochi Sanso Garden

Stepping stones path tobi-ishi fenced on both sides with a rope. The fence prevents the moss covering the ground from being trampled down.

The tea house itself is a wooden one-story building with an area of 63 square meters, covered with a thatched roof. Tekisui-an has two rooms, each of them has its own exit to the garden.

At the end of November, falling maple leaves made this area especially bright. That attracted many tourists who wanted to capture themselves in national Japanese costumes. However, there were also a lot of people who wanted to sit silently and to admire the garden.

Okochi Sanso Garden

Okochi Sanso Garden

There are Japanese lanterns here, but we did not find a tsukubai, only a small bowl hidden in the bushes.

Okochi Sanso Garden

Okochi Sanso Garden

It is impossible to bypass the tea house, there are fences on the right and left, prohibiting passage.

Okochi Sanso Garden

After inspecting Tekisui-an, another surprise awaited for us. The second observation deck. From here there was such a magnificent view of the mountains that it was already breathtaking.

Okochi Sanso Garden

On the opposite slope we could see the building of a temple. Unfortunately, I couldn't find out its name.

Okochi Sanso Garden

Although we wanted to stay here longer, we had to leave )) We went downstairs and walked along the path to the exit.

Okochi Sanso Garden

It was very interesting for me to see this garden, the garden of the actor, philosopher, artist. They say that over the years, Okochi Denjiro began to devote more and more time to studying Buddhism, and the loud fame did not cause any emotions in him. This character is best expressed precisely through the garden. So simple, natural and so beautiful!

Okochi Sanso Garden

 

Garden Information:

Address:: 8 Sagaogurayama Tabuchiyamacho, Ukyo Ward, Kyoto, 616-8394, JAPAN

Opening hours: from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

 

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