Kyoto Gyoen National Garden Audio Guide

Kyoto Gyoen National Garden: what does the audio guide cover?

1. 01

   Welcome to Kyoto Gyoen National Garden

   Welcome to Kyoto Gyoen National Garden, a wide green space set right in the very heart of Kyoto. It is a national garden that surrounds the Kyoto Imperial Palace, and it is open to everyone, at any time, with free admission. The garden is a long rectangle. It stretches about 1.3 kilometers from north to south and about 0.7 kilometers from east to west, and the whole park covers 65 hectares. Walking through it, you may find it hard to imagine that this open, tree-filled space was once packed with the homes of court nobles. Over the next few minutes, I will take you through the layers of its story: the palace and the nobles who lived around it, the emperor who wished to preserve the place, and the festivals and historic buildings that still keep the past alive today.

2. 02

   A Palace and a Neighborhood of Nobles

   Let us go back to the Heian period, which ran from 794 to 1185. As the floodplain here became smaller, the emperor's residential palace was built on the very ground where the garden lies today. Around that palace, the residences of court nobles were gradually built, and together they formed a nobles' residential area. This became the center of power in Japan, and the culture of the nobles who served the emperor flourished here. A turning point came in 1331, about 700 years ago, when a temporary imperial palace on this site became the permanent Imperial Palace. It is no exaggeration to say that Japanese history revolves around this place. So as you stroll, remember that the quiet paths and open lawns sit on top of centuries of court life, ceremony and politics. What looks like a park was once a crowded and powerful neighborhood.

3. 03

   From Abandoned Ruins to a National Garden

   Then the capital moved to Tokyo, and everything changed. The Imperial Palace and the nobles' residential area were left behind, abandoned and falling into disrepair. Emperor Meiji, who lived from 1852 to 1912, wished to see the area preserved and beautified. This led to the Kyoto Gyoen Garden Preservation Project. The buildings in the nobles' zone were removed, garden paths were laid, and trees were planted, including trees donated by Kyoto residents and by people from all over Japan. The area was reborn as a park and became Kyoto Gyoen National Garden. The imperial story did not end there. Even though the court had moved to Tokyo, the enthronement ceremonies for Emperor Taisho and Emperor Showa were held at the Imperial Palace and Kyoto Gyoen in Kyoto. After World War Two, the garden was opened to the public, and rest areas, a children's park and sports facilities were added to make it welcoming for everyone.

4. 04

   Festivals and Surviving Buildings

   This garden is also a stage for living tradition. It is the starting point for two of the three major festivals of Kyoto: the Aoi Matsuri, the Hollyhock Festival, and the Jidai Matsuri, the Festival of the Ages. Both are attended by visitors from all over Japan, and both are part of the layers of history that Kyoto Gyoen holds. Some buildings from the Edo period still stand here. Among them, the site of the Kan-in no Miya Residence is used for cultural purposes today. There is also the Shusui-tei Tea Ceremony House, one of several historical structures from the late Edo period, which opens along with its Japanese garden to the public for various events. The garden's neighbors add to the setting. The Kyoto Imperial Palace, the Kyoto Sento Imperial Palace and the Kyoto State Guest House all lie beside it, which gives the whole district its cultural weight.

5. 05

   Before You Head Off

   Kyoto Gyoen is a place where you can enjoy a simple walk and still stand on ground that shaped Japanese history. The same earth once held an emperor's palace, noble households and royal ceremonies, and today it holds trees planted by people from across the country. As you wander on, notice how the park opens up around the Imperial Palace, and how the trees frame it like a green outer garden, which is exactly what Emperor Meiji had in mind. Look for the old Edo period buildings tucked among the greenery and wonder who passed through them. The garden is free and open to everyone, so there is no hurry. Let your curiosity pick the path, and see which layer of Kyoto's past you uncover next.