Saitō Kiyoshi, Katsura Palace and Stone Lantern, Shōwa era, 1955 (Shōwa 30). Woodblock print; ink and color on paper. Asiatic Curator’s Fund. © Hisako Watanabe.
Saitō Kiyoshi, Katsura Palace and Stone Lantern, Shōwa era, 1955 (Shōwa 30). Woodblock print; ink and color on paper. Asiatic Curator’s Fund. © Hisako Watanabe.
Gardens of Kyoto
1:00 pm–2:30 pm
Tickets (Member / Nonmember)
In-Person $28 / $35
Livestream $16 / $20
Wonderful gardens are scattered throughout Japan, but the greatest concentration is in the city of Kyoto, Japan’s imperial capital for more than one thousand years, from 794 to 1868. Take a tour of Kyoto’s gardens, starting with the most famous of all, the 17th-century Katsura Imperial Villa in the southwest corner of the city, whose buildings and grounds inspired and influenced 20th-century Western architects such as Walter Gropius. Then skip around town to admire the special features of palace and temple gardens including the mountainside villa Shugaku-in, the rock gardens at the Zen temples of Ryoan-ji and Daitoku-ji, the tranquil moss garden of Saiho-ji, and the autumn foliage at Tofuku-ji.
Sarah Thompson, Terrie and Bradley Bloom Curator of Japanese Prints, Art of Asia, MFA
Course Packages
Purchase a ticket package for the full nine-session “Living Art: Gardens Across Time, Culture, and Creativity” course. Please note that this option is not available after the date of the first session.
Assistive listening system
Wheelchair accessible
Ticket Information
To order tickets by phone, call 1-800-440-6975 ($6 processing fee applies); to order in person, visit any MFA ticket desk.
Livestream Tickets
The livestream ticket gives access to a live feed of the event that can be watched remotely. You must be logged in to the account used to purchase the ticket in order to access the livestream on the Video Content page. Please log in at least 5 minutes before the start of the event to test your connection.
Livestream ticket holders must watch the event live; there is no recording of the event available for viewing at a later time.
Bag Checks
All bags are subject to inspection by Museum staff. Backpacks, large bags, all liquids including hand sanitizer and sunscreen, and outside food or drink are not permitted. Exceptions are made for medical or religious needs. All bags are strongly discouraged, and any bags larger than 11” x 15” must be checked in the Coat Room upon entry. Read our full bag check policy.