Isuien Garden & Neiraku Museum

依水園・寧楽美術館

Isuien is a Japanese garden next to Todai-ji Temple in Nara, a nationally designated Place of Scenic Beauty. The front garden dates from the early Edo period, and the rear garden was made in the Meiji period by businessman Seki Tojiro for tea and poetry gatherings. It uses Mt. Wakakusa and Todai-ji's Nandaimon gate as borrowed scenery. The Neiraku Museum shows Chinese bronzes, seals and Korean ceramics collected by the Nakamura family.

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Visitor information

Opening hours: 9:30–16:30 (last entry 16:00). In April and May, 9:30–17:00 (last entry 16:30).
Closed: Tuesdays (if Tuesday is a holiday, closed the next weekday instead). Also closed at New Year and for garden maintenance from late December to mid-January and in late September.
Admission: Adults 1,200 yen; university and high school students 500 yen; junior high and elementary students 300 yen.
Getting there: About a 15-minute walk from Kintetsu Nara Station (west side of Todai-ji). There is no parking.

Hours and fees can change. Please check the official website before you go.

Good to know

Wheelchairs cannot be used to walk around the garden.

Tips for Muslim visitors

Smoking is not allowed in the garden, and visitors are asked not to bring in food.
The garden's restaurant Sanshu mainly serves mugi-toro (barley rice with grated yam); its menu also includes eel, matcha, zenzai (sweet red-bean soup) and coffee, and beer and amazake are also available.
Some stepping stones on the garden paths have rounded surfaces and can be hard to walk on, and the garden cannot be toured by wheelchair.
Museums are quiet, indoor places that are good for a break, but few have a prayer room. Staff may let you use a quiet corner if you ask politely.
Photography rules change by exhibition. Check the signs before taking pictures.
Plan your visit around prayer times. Below are today's prayer times for Nara and the verified places to pray nearby.
Food stalls and shops near popular sights usually do not have halal certification. Check the ingredients, or choose from the verified places on this site.