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Home - Travel - Sightseeing Guide - Kansai - Kyoto - Northern Kyoto
Shugakuin Imperial Villa	# 46   of 56 most visited sights in Kyoto
access  -  admission  -  hotels  -  reports  -  ratings  -  tours  -  links

Shugakuin Imperial Villa (修学院離宮, Shugakuin Rikyū) was built in the 17th century by Emperor Gomizuno and is now managed by the Imperial Household Agency. It consists of the Upper, Middle and Lower Villa areas, each featuring gardens and buildings of the traditional imperial style. Shugakuin's name comes from a former temple built on the same site in the tenth century. The Imperial Villa was constructed between 1655 and 1659, with a palace for Gomizuno's daughter added ten years later. More recently in 1964, the surrounding farmlands were bought by the Imperial Household Agency. They are leased out to local farmers who continue to work the fields. Shugakuin is only accessible to the public through guided tours. The tour must be booked in advance and lasts about one hour and twenty minutes. It takes visitors through all three villas, and points out the significant garden features and structures. The tour is only offered in Japanese, however, an English audio guide is available. As with all Imperial properties, it is not possible to enter any of the buildings. However, for those interested in Japanese design and architecture, several buildings are left open along the tour route so that visitors can see inside. Important features such as elevated tatami mats and painted panels are pointed out by the audio guide. Any Questions? Ask them in our question forum.

How to get there

The closest station to Shugakuin is Shugakuin Station on the Eizan Railway Line, from where the villa's entrance gates can be reached in a 10 to 15 minute walk. From Kyoto Station, take the JR Nara Line to Tofukuji Station (3 minutes) and transfer to the Keihan Line to its terminus, Demachiyanagi Station (10 minutes). From there, take the Eizan Railways to Shugakuin Station (7 minutes). The entire trip costs 720 yen and takes about 40 minutes. How to get to and around Kyoto

Hours and Fees

Free tours of Shugakuin Imperial Villa are held five times daily at 9:00, 10:00, 11:00, 13:30 and 15:00 in Japanese only. No tours are held on Sundays and national holidays. Most Saturdays are also unavailable. Check with the agency for an up to date schedule. To book a tour, you need to apply in advance with your passport at the Imperial Household Agency's office in Kyoto Imperial Park. Reservations are often possible on the same day as the intended visit. The agency office is open Monday to Friday from 8:45 to 12:00 and from 13:00 to 17:00. Additionally, a small number of tour spots are available for reservation over the agency's website (see links below), however, these often get booked out. Online reservations must be completed several days before the intended visit.

Hotels and Ryokan

In: Kyoto Fukuoka Hiroshima Hokkaido Kamakura Kanazawa Kansai Airport Kyoto Mount Fuji Nagasaki Nagoya Nara Narita Airport Nikko Niigata Okinawa Osaka Sapporo Sendai Shima Peninsula Takayama Tokyo From: 12345678910111213141516171819202122232425262728293031 JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec 2012 2013 For: 1 night 2 nights 3 nights 4 nights 5 nights 6 nights 7 nights Website: JAPANiCAN Hotels.com Hostel World Agoda Hotel & Ryokan (NTA) Jalan.net

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Travel Community

Ratings for Shugakuin Villa: japan-guide.com Rating:   best of Japan   User Rating (by 54 users): 89/100   recommended Popularity of Shugakuin Villa: Users who have been to Kyoto: 4511 Users who have been to Shugakuin Villa: 117 46th of 56 most visited sights in Kyoto. 329th of 726 most visited sights nationwide. Have you been to Shugakuin Villa? No - I have not been there yetYes - no ratingYes - highly recommendedYes - recommendedYes - mildly interestingYes - nothing specialYes - not recommended User Feedback We strive to keep japan-guide.com up-to-date and accurate, and are always looking for ways to improve the user experience. If you have any updates, suggestions, corrections or opinions, please let us know:

Tours and Packages

Kyoto Tours Various tours and travel packages for Kyoto and surroundings.

English Links

Imperial Household Agency Official English website. Application for Visit English application page.

Japanese Links

Imperial Household Agency Official website. Application for Visit Japanese application page.