Yūgayama Garden, also known as the Former Yamaguchi Family Villa Garden, is a tranquil Japanese garden covering approximately 1.3 hectares at the southern edge of Nara Park. Located south of Ukimido Pavilion and Sagi Pond, the garden combines gentle hills, wooded paths, and waterside scenery to create one of the quieter retreats within the park.
In 1927, the area encompassing Mount Yūga and Sagi Pond was additionally designated as part of the nationally recognized Place of Scenic Beauty known as Nara Park. This designation reflects the area’s value as an integrated landscape in which natural features and carefully designed garden scenery complement one another.
The garden was developed as the southern Nara villa of Yamaguchi Kichirōbei, a prominent businessman active in Osaka’s financial world from the Meiji period through the Taishō period. The Yamaguchi family made skillful use of the existing terrain, incorporating the gentle slopes of Mount Yūga and the waterside scenery of Sagi Pond to create a garden with depth and a distinctly Nara character.
Retaining the atmosphere of a modern Japanese garden, the grounds also served as an important cultural gathering place. Its combination of natural scenery, traditional landscaping, and refined architectural elements reflects the tastes and cultural interests of Japan’s modern-era business elite.
Yūgayama Garden was a favored meeting place for painters, tea practitioners, writers, and other cultural figures. Among those associated with the garden was the painter Omidera Hachizan. Artmaking, tea gatherings, and literary discussions took place in the garden and its teahouse, creating an environment where Nara’s natural beauty and cultural life came together.
The celebrated Japanese writer Shiga Naoya was also among the cultural figures known to have visited the area. The garden’s peaceful atmosphere made it an appealing setting for artistic inspiration, conversation, and quiet contemplation.
Stone lanterns and stone walls remain scattered throughout the grounds, preserving traces of the garden’s original design. Weathered by time, these stone features lend the landscape a sense of dignity and understated beauty. As visitors follow the paths, the changing angles reveal different arrangements of stones, trees, and surrounding greenery.
One of the garden’s most striking features is a traditional waterfall arrangement incorporating enormous stones measuring more than two meters in size. The falling water adds movement and a refreshing sound to the otherwise tranquil landscape.
The powerful presence of the natural stone is balanced by the careful positioning of each element, creating a composition that feels both dramatic and harmonious. This combination of rugged materials and refined design is characteristic of traditional Japanese garden aesthetics.
Paths wind through the garden, allowing visitors to explore its different perspectives at a leisurely pace. Some sections open toward Sagi Pond, offering broad views of the water and surrounding landscape, while narrower trails pass through trees and quieter corners of the grounds.
The changing scenery encourages visitors to slow down and appreciate the subtle details of the garden, from the interplay of light and shade to the textures of stone, foliage, and water.
On the western side of the garden stands Takuan, a reconstructed teahouse based on the original structure built by Yamaguchi Kichirōbei. Historical photographs and documents were used to reproduce its form and colors as faithfully as possible.
The teahouse offers a rare opportunity to experience the traditions of Japanese tea culture in a carefully restored historical setting. Available by reservation for an additional fee, a tea experience here allows guests to enjoy the quiet beauty of the garden as a natural backdrop to the ritual of tea.
In recent years, facilities for dining, socializing, and accommodation have been developed around the garden, providing additional ways to enjoy the area. Visitors can experience cuisine featuring ingredients from Nara Prefecture while relaxing in surroundings that combine historic scenery with contemporary hospitality.
An accommodation facility designed by architect Kengo Kuma brings together traditional Japanese sensibilities and modern architecture. Guests can also enjoy natural hot springs and bathing experiences using medicinal herbs, adding a wellness dimension to a visit to this peaceful corner of Nara.
Yūgayama Garden offers a different experience from the more heavily visited attractions of Nara Park. Here, history, artistic culture, and nature blend into a calm and harmonious setting. Its traditional landscaping, historical connections, and secluded atmosphere make it an appealing destination for visitors who want to slow down and discover a more contemplative side of Nara.
Whether admiring the old stonework, listening to the waterfall, exploring the winding paths, or experiencing the tea tradition at Takuan, visitors can enjoy a tranquil garden that preserves the spirit of Nara while offering a welcome escape from the bustle of the city.
9:00-22:00
Feb. 24 to the end of Feb.
Free of charge
Approx. 30 min. walk from JR Nara Sta.
Approx. 15 min. walk from Kintetsu Nara Sta.
From JR Nara Station or Kintetsu Nara Station, take the Nara Kotsu Bus (city circulation), get off at “Wariishi-cho” and walk about 2 minutes.