The Hiei Garden Museum at the top of Mt. Hiei is truly a hidden gem, even to the well-acquainted Kyoto lover. Though it is officially called a museum, once you visit, you will actually find that unlike a typical museum, it is a vast garden where you can enjoy both flowers and art. Here, by admiring the flowers or the view of the Lake Biwa below, you can comfortably partake in activities like taking a leisurely stroll, photographing the scenes around you, reading a good book, and eating a meal all while experiencing the arts.
- What kind of place is it?
- Café
- Shop
- Observation Tower
- Latest Blooming Information
- International Student Okoshiyasu Pass (留学生おこしやすPASS)
- Closing remarks
- Hours of Operation (2024)
What kind of place is it?
The garden of French impressionist painter Claude Monet who lived and worked in Giverny, a suburb of Paris, has been recreated at the Mt. Hiei Garden Museum. This elegant garden, where nature and art coexist is divided into a number of areas, each arranged with their own decorated ceramic tiles including: a rose garden, flower garden, wisteria hill, hill with a view, water lily garden, komorebi (sunlight trickling through gaps in the tree leaves) garden, plane tree clearing, and fragrant garden. You can appreciate the lighting and shading captured by the impressionist geniuses such as Monet, Van Gogh, and Renoir under natural light. There are explanations in Japanese and English describing the ceramic plate paintings, and you can read more about it online! By scanning the QR code, you will get to know the background of each piece of work. There is also a guide machine rental available for a fee (300 yen), but it was easier for me to read the QR code with my smartphone.
And speaking of smartphones, photography is one thing that comes to mind. There are plenty of spectacles to take photos of. A parasol next to the famous Monet painting “THE WALK, WOMAN WITH A PARASOL,” can be found along with a frame and mirror placed in the flower garden, and you can take pictures as if you were in the painting yourself.
Café
The café in the garden has indoor and outdoor terrace seating. On days where the weather is nice, please try out the terrace seating. From the terrace, you have an unobstructed view of Lake Biwa. Other than sodas with beautiful colors and fragrant herbal teas on the menu, there is also a blue soft serve ice cream inspired by Lake Biwa that goes well with the scenery and provides a clear, refreshing feeling.
The Hiei Garden Museum has an elevation of about 840m and is roughly 5 degrees cooler than within Kyoto City. In a garden filled with colorful flowers while looking over Biwa Lake and feeling the wind, why not have the best summer experience here?
Shop
In the Monet Garden, there is also a shop that’s a must-see. Be sure to take some pictures inside the romantic photo spot!
Also, you can try your hand at making a personal herbarium. There is certainly a wide selection of floral and art goods, and as a postcard collector, I chose two postcards with paintings of Van Gogh and Morris!
Observation Tower
If you get tired of walking around the spacious garden, take a short rest at the observation tower. Due to its elevated height, the observation tower overlooks Kyoto Tower as well as a cluster of buildings in Osaka. Each floor of the observation tower offers a unique view to be enjoyed. The second floor cafe with its side-by-side gallery and small reading room is a place where you can comfortably go to read in peace.
The observation tower’s second floor windows are low enough to be able to admire the blooming flowers in the garden. When observing the view from a chair, it’s almost as if you are staring at a little garden in your own home, allowing one to pass time here both quietly and comfortably.
On the third floor of the observation tower, windows are specifically oriented so that you can observe the garden through a coin-operated telescope. For 100 yen, you are able to see through the lens for 90 seconds which was fun, however, maybe due to my deep concentration, after the time was up I became a bit dizzy…
Latest Blooming Information
- Roses begin to flower in June.
- Water lilies’ flowering season lasts from late May to late September (Due to the fact that water lilies close their flowers in the afternoon, the best time to view them is in the morning.)
- Cleomes (spider flowers) bloom in mid-July to early September.
Additionally, a variety of flowers are in full bloom, so for more information please refer to the Flower Blooming Calendar!
Today’s visit to the Mt. Hiei Garden Museum, which included a stroll, art viewing, photography, a short break, and a meal, in all required around two to two and a half hours. Since you are already there, you may think about also going to the Mt. Hiei Enryaku Temple, but accounting for the necessary time as well as energy to do so will be important.
Also, I recommend using the cable railway and ropeway to access the site. The cable ride was very interesting since it was like a roller coaster slowly going down a steep slope. From the ropeway, you can view the lush, green mountains. At the midway point, there is a kawara-throwing area where visitors can throw kawara three times for 100 yen. Kawara-throwing is a traditional Japanese game or ritual that is performed using small unglazed earthenware (kawara). While throwing the kawara at a specific place, people make a wish or pray for good luck. It is also said to ward off evil spirits. It can be seen at shrines and temples throughout Japan, and there are also tourisits spots where you can experience it. It looks easy at first glance, but it was difficult to hit the target.
International Student Okoshiyasu Pass (留学生おこしやすPASS)
Unlike other facilities, the Garden Museum Hiei is open to international students for the entire duration of the museum’s operation with the International Student Okoshiyasu PASS. Just show your “留学生おこしやすPASS” (web image) and your student ID card from the designated affiliated school, and you can enter the museum free of charge!
Closing remarks
Last but not least, I would like to express my gratitude to the staff of the Hiei Garden Museum, Mr. Kagata and Ms. Fujii, for their warm hospitality and commentary. I felt that the sincere efforts of the two of them as well as all the staff members made this garden truly shine.
We hope that many more people will visit the Hiei Garden Museum in the future and have a special experience.
Hours of Operation (2024)
Open from April 20 (Sat) to December 8 (Sun)
Standard Business Hours: 10:00-17:30 (admission until 17:00)
Fall Season: November 1 (Fri) to December 8 (Sun) 10:00-17:00 (admission until 16:30)
Closed on Thursdays (except August 15)
(For international students who are not from designated schools: Please check the Hieie Garden Museum website for admission fees, etc.
