'Tsuboniwa' Japanese Gardens

Whilst traditional Japanese machiya homes may be more compact than their western counterpart, many were cleverly designed to feature a ‘tsuboniwa’. Tusboniwa were courtyard gardens that could often be enjoyed from this multiple rooms and areas of a machiya house.

The machiya pictured here is is located in the downtown Shijo area of Kyoto. Shijo has been the center of Kyoto’s economy since ancient times, even before the Heian period (794)! The area surrounding the machiya is still lined with old stores and businesses that have been around for generations. In fact, the department store located here, Daimaru, has been around since 1717.

In the past, people who lived in these machiya and did business wanted to feel the nature while staying in the city. Like an oasis within the city, the tsuboniwa garden brought natural light, wind, and the changing of the seasons throughout the machiya.