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Geppa-rō
げっぱろう
A pavilion at Katsura facing the pond to catch the moon, its boat-hull ceiling drawing in the waterside; by application.
Katsura Imperial Villa was built from around 1615 as a retreat of the Hachijō-no-miya princely house, shaped over some fifty years by Prince Toshihito and his son Prince Toshitada. Four teahouses are set around its stroll garden and pond. Geppa-rō is one of them; Agency records date it to the early Edo period, a single-storey wooden building with a shingle roof.
It stands beside the Old Shoin, facing the same direction as the palace buildings, under a hipped roof. Raised on a mound at the pond's edge, it gives the view from inside a height worthy of the name rō, "tower".
The name is said to come from a Chinese poem likening the moon reflected on water to a single pearl, and it was indeed a place for enjoying the moon. Today it can be seen from outside on the Agency's tour route.
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How to experience itVisit & use
Visit through the Imperial Household Agency's tour system: apply online in advance, or get a timed same-day ticket on site from 8:40 a.m., first come, first served (photo ID required). The teahouses are seen from outside along the tour route.
Book / apply
Apply to visit Katsura Imperial Villa（official page） ↗Apply to visit Katsura Imperial Villa for Geppa-rō through the site's official page. Please check availability and conditions there.
Visitor informationInformation
| Address | Katsura Misono, Nishikyo-ku, Kyoto (Katsura Imperial Villa) |
|---|---|
| Closed | Mondays (the following day if Monday is a holiday), Dec 28–Jan 4, and days with official events |
| Admission | ¥1,000 for ages 18+ (free for junior high and high school students). Children below junior high age cannot visit |
| Access | About 20 min walk from Katsura Station (Hankyu Kyoto Line), or 15 min from the Katsura Rikyu-mae bus stop |
| Inquiries | Imperial Household Agency Kyoto Office, visitor desk: +81-75-211-1215 |
Sources (checked 2026年10月)
Photo: Katsura Imperial Villa — the site where this tea room stands, not the room itself. Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 2.0 / KimonBerlin
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