Shisen-dō

This was the hermitage of the scholar and poet Ishikawa Jozan, who lived here for some forty years, and it still feels like a private house rather than a monument. From the study you look out at a garden that blends a dry garden with a stroll garden, built around clipped shrubs, with azaleas that flower in spring. It sits in the quiet Ichijoji area of northern Kyoto, well away from the main sightseeing loops, and it is a fine choice for escaping the crowds that fill better-known temples.