Katsura Palace
is a royal family mansion located on the west bank of the Katsuragawa River, in
the western outskirts of Kyoto. In 1615, Hachijo no Miya Tsoshihito began
construction of the villa and it was completed after 47 years. In the area of
about 70,000 square meters of Katsura, there are Shoin (chapel), Chatei (tea
room, rest) located around a large lake in the center. The entire villa has a
beautiful Japanese feel with harmony between the garden and the architecture
around it. The beauty of the garden attracts a lot of people and it is hailed
as a masterpiece in Japanese gardens. Around the lake are Koshoin (ancient
library), Nakashoin (middle library), and 4 Chatei are Shokintei, Shokatei,
Shoinken, Gepporo. In addition, guests can take a boat ride, sightseeing on the
lake. From the boat can admire the garden with beautiful architecture in
harmony in fresh nature.
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| Japan-Source: Internet |
The Katsura
Royal Palace is located on the banks of the Katsura River, built by Prince
Toshihito in the 17th century. It occupies about 58,000 square meters. From
above, the garden view looks impressive with ancient architectural complexes
adjacent to each other, next to the large reservoir. All surrounded by dense
forest. This mansion was designed as a location depicted in the famous 11th
century Genji narrative novel. In his design, Prince Toshihito is less
interested in luxury and more focused on recreating the context of his favorite
novel. He devoted his entire resources to the creation of gardens, tea rooms and
mansions to create this palace. After his death, his son continued the project,
expanding the scale of the gardens and the number of tea rooms. In the 20th
century, the mansion was included in the book by German architect Bruno Taut,
and became extremely famous in modern architectural circles, such as Le
Corbusier and Walter Gropius.
The shoji
complex is quite rustic, and serves as the center of the royal garden. Viewed
from the outside, this architecture resembles a lively orchestra with a
harmonious blend of black columns and white walls. Step inside the house,
visitors will feel the beauty of a space of traditional Japanese style
architecture with all the columns in the house are made of wood, the rooms
separated by a pull door fusuma. Paste washi paper, floor tatami mats. When
pulling the fusuma, both rooms become open.
The most
important factor in Japanese architecture is the harmony of the outer and inner
nature. In the shoji house design, the sliding door plays an important role as
it helps bring outside light into the room. Beneath the window in the shoji
house is a wooden frame that can be pulled up. In the summer, people pull the
wooden frame up to reveal a small space under the window, helping the wind to
enter the room but prevent the sun sharply. If you want to admire the beauty of
nature outside, the owner of the house just pull the window to the two sides, a
wide open space in front of the eyes. The ceiling is a combination of beams
that support the board above them, creating countless squares on the surface of
the board. Each square is a different wood grain, this compatible combination
is a variation to help the ceiling become lively. At the corner of the room,
also known as the Tokonoma, a variety of shelves are available in different
shapes and sizes. On the shelves are small rectangular drawers placed
horizontally or vertically. The royal garden of Katsura Rikyu is one of the
treasures of the emperor. It does not excite the magnificent, splendid, but the
rustic, pure beauty of traditional Japanese architecture. In addition to the
residential architecture, Katsura Rikyu also has gardens, a lake and even a
vast forest surrounding it. It's like Japanese miniature nature with full of
mountains, forests and sea. Right at the entrance to Katsura Rikyu is
Miyuki-mon gate. The gate is made from natural materials with wooden columns
and straw roofs. Stepping past Miyuki-mon gate, people will set foot on the
Miyuki-michi road. At the end of this road is the garden and the architecture
of the house. Sugar made entirely of pebbles in nature. Each stone is
intentionally arranged to help the pavement become flat. The result of this
feat not only creates a beautiful appearance for the road but also makes rain
water easily permeate to the soil and the road is very dry.
Next to
Miyuki-michi, many other places in the garden have other rock paths. There are
1800 large stones arranged in succession. They serve as guides for those who
first come to Katsura Rikyu. The stones are kept original colors and shapes.
Right in the middle of the garden is a large lake spread. It is not meant to be
a reservoir of water that contains complex symbolic images. In this small
garden, the sea and the artificial mountains were erected in accordance with
human intentions. Walking around the garden, visitors can easily catch the
small stream flowing winding. A small waterfall with a height of about 20 cm
appears in the stream bed. Despite its modest size, this waterfall is full of
features of a true waterfall with murky water. The lake in Katsura Rikyu is
considered the sea. Underneath the lake, covered with moss, above the mossy
foliage, all create a familiar blue color of seawater. The stone path
separating the lake represents the beach covered with white sand. Here on the
lake are images of floating boats floating. From the boat, people can admire
the scenery on the water. Nowadays, for urban residents living away from the
water and the sea, traveling on a boat is an unforgettable experience. In the
garden of Katsura Rikyu, you can also see the view of the countryside. A house
called Shoiken was built for that purpose. Outside the window of Shoiken is the
paddy field spread out. Rural landscape becomes more alive with the presence of
industrious people. They transplant rice in rice paddies, young seedlings are
quickly rooted to the soil and become green. The Japanese have been known for a
long time in rice cultivation, which is a meaningful work that brings a warm
and warm life to everyone, so the image of the rice field has been lovingly
reinterpreted at Katsura Rikyu.
The huts used
for tea are distributed everywhere in the royal garden of Katsura Rikyu. Among
them, most notably is the house called Shokintei. In the old days, the
aristocracy used this place for healthy entertainment, they had tea together
while reading waka poetry as well as holding many other fun parties. In
Shokintei, a terracotta kiln is used to cook food. The tea house is built by
the method of creating open space to help the tea does not feel separated from
the garden. Shokintei is the best place for people to drink tea, enjoy the
natural beauty of nature with the lake, woods and birds chirping.
People use
white paper with beautifully decorated decorative patterns for the walls and
walls of the room in the royal garden Katsura Rikyu. It was a white washi paper
with an iridescent yellow pattern called Karagami. Many people mistaken for the
iridescence of patterns because they are made of gold, but that's not true. To
create a sparkle pattern, a mineral powder called mica powder is used. Mica
powder when exposed to light will reflect and become glistening. Karagami paper
looks beautiful because of countless golden patterns; High quality paper, long
lasting color, so this paper is very popular in the construction of high-grade
traditional houses in Japan.
Although you
are not allowed into buildings, you can still see from the outside the
furniture surface almost to the rustic and geometric features that modern
people admire. On arrival, you will be shown a film with information about the
mansion, and some regulations to follow during the visit. The rules include
where to take pictures. Guided tours are available in Japanese, so it's best to
get an English audio guide for your tour on campus. Although visitors are free
to enter the Royal Residence of Katsura, they must prepare their permits a few
days in advance at the Royal Information Office in Kyoto city center. Guests
must show passport when applying for a permit. Homes are usually open only on
weekdays. It is easily accessible by bus from Kyoto Station, the city's main
transfer station.
