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About Your Host

Andrew William grew up in the Washington D.C. area with deep interests in Eastern philosophy, nature and art. He followed these passions to Colorado where he completed a Master’s degree in Landscape Architecture and designed and built gardens for a decade. He then spent brief periods in Seattle and Kauai before coming to Japan 11 years ago to learn from the masters the traditional techniques of Japanese garden design and construction.

While apprenticing in one of the highest ranking garden companies in Kyoto, Andrew had a chance to work in several prestigious gardens including the state guesthouse at the Kyoto Imperial Palace and the private garden at Fushimi Inari Taisha. As part of his training, he became one of the only foreigners to obtain certification from the Kyoto Zouen Kumiai Kunrenko, a prestigious gardener training program taught by many of Kyoto’s garden masters and industry elites.

In 2017 he founded An Design, a garden consulting and tour company in Kyoto, Japan. Having received over 1,000 5-star reviews, An Design has become one of the highest rated tour companies in Kyoto.

Hear more about Andrew’s experiences and thoughts in this interview.

What Does ‘An’ Design Mean?

When I first moved to Japan I quickly learned that in Japanese my name was not pronounced Andrew, but in fact- Andoryu. A Buddhist monk soon chose my Japanese characters for me:

安 ahn / peaceful
土 do / land
流 ryu / flowing

Once I entered the traditional garden company my nickname became 安 or “An”. As business’s in Japan typically take the name of the owner, An Design became the name of my company 4 years ago.

安 Peaceful, quite, contented, rested.

These are feelings I hope you will experience as we journey though Kyoto together. Veering away from the usual tourist attractions with their large crowds and hectic atmospheres, I will bring you to a world which many who come here are not able to find. We will have a chance to experience true peace in an otherwise busy world.

Immersed in spaces of unimaginable beauty, we will experience the true nature of Kyoto.

Hello From Kyoto

Hello and thank you for being here. Drawing on my experience working in a traditional garden company here in Kyoto and my self-studies in Eastern philosophy since as long as I can remember, I am able to provide experiences for my guests that are unique and from the heart.

Available for online experiences, as well as half-day, full-day, and multi-day walking tours, I look forward to leading you on an enchanting and introspective journey while helping you to better understand this enigmatic country of Japan.

Respectfully,

Andrew William
andrew@andesignkyoto.com