Garyu Sanso Villa 臥龍山荘

The Garyu Sanso Villa sits atop cliffs overlooking the Hiji River. This villa is a wonderful example of traditional style of Japanese architecture.

You can reach the villa by train and then a walk or taxi.

Garyu Sanso is easily accessible from all areas of Ozu . From Iyo-Ozu JR Station, it's around a 25-minute walk. To get to Iyo-Ozu Station from Matsuyama Station, take the JR Yosan Line Uwakai Limited Express. It takes around 40 minutes. Garyu Sanso is a short walk through the sleepy, traditional streets of Ozu's Old Town.

The villa is an elegant and impressive space, inside and out. The building has a thick, thatched roof and slightly blackened walls, and charming details and alcoves within.

However, it is the garden that is the gem of this property, even as you walk around the house. Deep green mosses blanket the ground and stonework, with trees extending from outer walls. The distant scenery of mountains, forests, and the Hiji River are all incorporated into the garden.

The teahouse at the end of the garden path features one of the cleverest incorporations of nature in its design. The curved basketwork ceiling is designed so that the reflected light of the moon from the river appears on its surface.