Garden Park Highlights
At the main entrance to Kamo Garden, the traditional wooden gate and buildings topped with ridged tiles contrast with the dense forest of the surrounding mountains. This scene has changed very little over hundreds of years, and the road that approaches the gate has also been left in its original state since its construction during the Edo period (1603–1867). Travelers at the time would have passed by here as they journeyed along the old Akiha road to pray at the nearby Akiha Jinja Shrine. The Kamo estate gradually developed into a rest stop along this route, with passersby stopping to enjoy the Japanese irises planted outside the gate.
Since then, the estate has become a popular place for cultural figures to visit and stay, and while the horse-drawn carts, palanquins, and foot travelers that once passed the gates have been replaced with guests arriving in cars and buses, the atmosphere inside has remained the same for centuries.
The buildings are almost 250 years old, and strolling past them while taking in the beauty of the gardens is like stepping back in time. The hard work of generations of the Kamo family is evident throughout the carefully maintained gardens.