From Keage Incline to Nanzen-ji Temple and the Famous Gardens of Okazaki

This course takes you walking from Keage Station on the subway along the Keage Incline, visiting Nanzen-ji Temple and Murin-an Garden, and heading toward Heian-jingu Shrine and The National Museum of Modern Art, Kyoto in Okazaki.

History and Regional Charm

To revitalize Kyoto after it declined following the Transfer of the Capital to Tokyo during the Meiji Restoration, construction began in 1885 on the Lake Biwa Canal to bring water from Lake Biwa into Kyoto. This course follows the scenery left behind by that canal. The Keage Incline is the remains of an inclined railway that carried canal boats on carts, and near Nanzen-ji Temple stands the Suirokaku Aqueduct, a red-brick aqueduct bridge for the canal. Following the opening of the canal, villas began to line the area around Nanzen-ji Temple, with Yamagata Aritomo's Murin-an Garden drawing water from the canal into its garden. Heian-jingu Shrine in Okazaki was planned as the culmination of reconstruction projects such as the excavation of the canal. In a single day of walking, you can compare the ancient Zen temple with Kyoto's new appearance during the Meiji era.

Key Highlights

• ​Keage Incline​​: The site of an inclined railway spanning approximately 582 meters that connected the Keage boat basin with the Nanzen-ji boat basin; at the time of its construction, it was the longest in the world. It overcame an elevation difference of about 36 meters by carrying boats on carts. Today, visitors can freely walk on the rails, and in 2025 it was designated a National Treasure as one of the Lake Biwa Canal facilities.
• ​Nanzen-ji Temple​​: The head temple of the Nanzen-ji branch of the Rinzai sect of Zen Buddhism, originally established by converting Cloistered Emperor Kameyama's detached palace into a Zen temple. Rebuilt by Todo Takatora in 1628 (Kan'ei 5), the Sanmon gate is known as one of the Three Great Gates of Japan and is also called "Tenka Ryumon." The Suirokaku Aqueduct passing beside Nanzen-ji Temple was designated a National Treasure in 2025 as the first modern civil engineering structure to receive this honor.
• ​Murin-an Garden​​: The villa of Yamagata Aritomo, who also served as Japan's third prime minister, built between 1894 (Meiji 27) and 1896 (Meiji 29). The garden, created by Ogawa Jihei VII, incorporates Higashiyama as its "main mountain" and features the murmuring waters of the Lake Biwa Canal; it is designated a National Place of Scenic Beauty. On the second floor of the Western-style building, the "Murin-an Conference" was held in 1903 (Meiji 36) prior to the outbreak of the Russo-Japanese War.
• ​Heian-jingu Shrine​​: Founded in 1895 (Meiji 28), the 1,100th anniversary of the transfer of the capital to Heian-kyo, enshrining Emperor Kanmu as its deity. The shrine buildings reproduce the Chodoin of Heian-kyo at approximately five-eighths scale, and the Shin'en garden surrounding the pavilions is a circular pond-stroll garden created by figures including Ogawa Jihei VII, designated as a National Place of Scenic Beauty.
• ​The National Museum of Modern Art, Kyoto​​: A national art museum focusing on crafts, housing works by Kawai Kanjiro and Kyoto Nihonga (Japanese-style paintings) by Takeuchi Seiho and others. The current building was designed by architect Maki Fumihiko and completed in 1986.

Recommended Route and Duration

The approximate required time is about 4 hours. It takes about a 3-minute walk from Keage Station on the Subway Tozai Line to reach the Keage Incline. After walking along the tracks, pass through the red-brick tunnel called the Nejiri-manpo Tunnel beneath the railway to enter the grounds of Nanzen-ji Temple. After touring the Sanmon gate, Hojo (abbot's hall), and Suirokaku Aqueduct, head west for about 500 meters to Murin-an Garden. Murin-an Garden limits entry numbers, and during busy times admission may be restricted for visitors without reservations, so reserving a specific date and time in advance ensures entry. Walking northwest about 640 meters from Murin-an Garden brings you to Heian-jingu Shrine in Okazaki. After paying your respects, return south about 430 meters to The National Museum of Modern Art, Kyoto. For the return trip, it is about a 10-minute walk to Exit 1 of Higashiyama Station on the Subway Tozai Line. In spring, the cherry blossoms on both sides of the incline and the weeping red cherry trees in the South Garden of Heian-jingu Shrine reach their peak, and the Okazaki area is also colored by the cherry trees along the canal. From the glass-walled café on the museum's first floor facing the canal, you can view the row of cherry trees along the water's edge.

Experience Summary

Walk along the former railway that once carried canal boats, look up at the aqueduct passing beside the Zen temple, and gaze out at Higashiyama from a famous garden where canal waters flow. Then head to the Okazaki shrine born of Kyoto's wish for revitalization and the nearby art museum. Take a leisurely walk to experience Kyoto's Meiji-era landscape connected by the Lake Biwa Canal, including in the cherry blossom season.