Katsura Imperial Villa

Katsura was built in stages from about 1615 for Prince Toshihito and his son, and consists of three linked residential buildings stepped diagonally along the edge of a pond garden with four tea houses set around it, each intended for a different season. The construction is deliberately plain - unpainted timber, plaster, paper, thatch - with the sophistication in proportion, in the modular grid, and in the way each turn of the path reveals a composed view and hides the next. Bruno Taut wrote about it in 1933 and Walter Gropius after him, and it became a reference point in mid-century modernism for its apparent anticipation of a functional aesthetic; whether that reading has much to do with the intentions behind it is a fair question. Entry is by guided tour only, booked in advance through the Imperial Household Agency, with a set route and no deviation.

History

The Katsura district has long been a place for villas: in the Heian period Fujiwara no Michinaga had one here, and the court found it an elegant spot for viewing the moon. The villa first belonged to the princes of the Hachijō-no-miya family and is now run by the Imperial Household Agency (Wikipedia, Katsura Imperial Villa).

What you'll find

• Three stepped buildings - linked residences set diagonally along the pond edge.
• Four seasonal tea houses - each placed and built for a different time of year.
• A composed route - paths that reveal one view at a time and conceal the next.
• Plain construction - unpainted timber, plaster and thatch, with the work in the proportions.

When to go

All year. Two hours including the tour. Book well in advance.

What to expect

Entry is by advance-booked guided tour only and slots go quickly, particularly in autumn. The route is fixed and interiors are viewed from outside. Tours are in Japanese with an audio guide available. Under-eighteens are subject to restrictions - check current rules.

Nearby

Arashiyama is north up the Katsura river; central Kyoto is east.

Key facts