Japanese garden paradise, Okochi Mountain Villa, Kyoto travel tip

For more than thirty years, the famous Japanese jidaigeki film actor Denjirō Ōkōchi worked on designing and landscaping the Ōkōchi Sansō ("Ōkōchi Mountain Villa"), his home in Arashiyama, Kyoto.

Located on the slopes of the Ogura mountain, the garden was designed to highlight the best of each of the four seasons and, scattered through it, there are also several constructions, some of them registered today as cultural properties. The most important building is the one in this photo, a classical looking Japanese house that brilliantly manages to combine several architectural styles.

Travel tip: It's quite easy to visit Ōkōchi Sansō, located close to famous Arashiyama bamboo forest, about 15 minutes walking distance from the JR Saga-Arashiyama Station or the Keifuku Arashiyama Station. The entrance fee is 1000 yen, and it includes a matcha tea treat...