Located next to Jissō-in temple, the Iwakura hermitage is a small house surrounded by a simple garden that served as the residence of Iwakura Tomomi (岩倉具視) during his roughly five year-long exile before the Meiji restauration (1868), after which the former advisor to the court once again became an important statesman in the new Japanese state. Today a part of Kyōto City, at that time, Iwakura was a small village to the north of the capital. The villa is a quiet place and a must-visit for those interested in history. In autumn, the maple foliage is beautiful, and this is one of the few places where you are almost alone.