Tour Katsura Villa +
You will have a free day in Kyoto on May 12.
There is a class of buildings in Kyoto that we cannot book as a group. They are controlled by the Imperial House and are highly restricted. I would recommend that you check out this website and try to book a tour of one of these amazing imperial facilities ASAP. I would start by highly recommending a tour of the Katsura Villa. I will talk about the building at some point in the trip prep. Other great choices are the Shugakuin Imperial Villa as well as the Sento Imperial Villa.
https://sankan.kunaicho.go.jp/english/guide/katsura.html
+Image from Yasuhiro Ishimoto, Katsura Imperial Villa 1981-1982. Collection of The Museum of Art, Kochi.