Shōsei-en Garden

Shōsei-en Garden

About the Shōsei-en Garden

The Shōsei-en is the garden of the Higashi Honganji (Shinshū Honbyō) and a separate enclave to its main precincts.

The history of the Shōsei-en Garden dates back to 1641, when the third shōgun Tokugawa Iemitsu
(1604–1651) donated a parcel of land to Sennyo (1604–1658), the 13th head priest of the Higashi Honganji, who built a garden on the property as part of his residence after retirement. Since then, it served as a retreat for successive generations of head priests of the temple and as a guesthouse for their honored guests.

The Garden has a variety of flowers and plants that bloom in each season throughout the year. The dynamic beauty and elegance of its architectural features and scenic spots are praised as the “Thirteen Views.”

In 1936, the Garden was designated as a National Place of Scenic Beauty as a Buddhist temple garden filled with the aesthetic taste of the literati.

What to See in the Garden

The Shōsei-en Garden covers an area of about 35,000 square meters (8.7 acres). With a large pond on its southeast side and a small one on its northwest one, it is filled with many spots of scenic beauty highlighted by the traditional architectural features of teahouses, a Buddhist hall, and reception halls that dot the entire grounds. The Garden is also designed so that the distant landscape of mountains makes a beautiful backdrop for its scenery.

Here are some of the spots of scenic beauty in the Garden.

Note: The insides of the halls and teahouses are generally closed.

The Ingetsu-chi
(Moon Image Pond)

: Occupying almost the whole southeast quadrant of the Shōsei-en Garden, the Ingetsu-chi (“Moon Image Pond”) is a wide pond that is the centerpiece to the Garden, which was designed as a garden with a central pond and walking paths around it. Its name Ingetsu-chi, “Moon Image Pond,” derives from the lovely reflection of the moon on the surface of its waters as it rises in the eastern sky. The surface of the pond, which has an area of about 5,620 square meters (60,490 square feet), covers one sixth of the entire Garden.

The Rōfū-tei
Reception Hall

: The Rōfū-tei Reception Hall is the expansive reception hall located at the south side of the cluster of buildings. With its deep eaves extending outward, it presents an edifice of considerable scale, and yet it manages to convey a gentle feeling.
When the Garden is viewed from within the Rōfū-tei, one can fully enjoy the magnificent landscape of the garden pond against the backdrop of the Amida Peak in the Higashiyama hills in Kyoto. In addition, the main room of the hall is designed differently from the usual layout of a traditional Japanese reception hall, since it can be transformed into a Noh stage when the tatami mats are removed. On the northwest side of the main room is a smaller room called Karaku, equipped with a wooden-floored alcove and a shelf that can be used as a desk. On July 14, 1880, Emperor Meiji used this room to rest.
The Rōfū-tei takes its name from a peak in the Kunlun Mountains in China called Langfeng (Rōfū), the legendary land of mountain hermits. As such it is highly suited as the name of a reception hall welcoming distinguished guests.
The current Rōfū-tei Reception Hall was rebuilt around 1865.

The Bōka-kaku Pavilion

: Located east of the Onrin-dō Hall (the Buddhist hall), the Bōka-kaku Pavilion was intended to serve as a symbolic monastery gate to the hall.
Its two-storied roofed gate design is an unusual architectural feature within a Japanese garden. On both sides, there are stairways which serve as entrances to the upstairs room. Ascending it, one is led to a four-and-a-half-tatami-mat (about 8.2 square meters or 88.4 square feet) room. On the ceiling is a striking compass pattern inscribed with the twelve zodiac signs. Its unrestrained and unconventional design, along with the classic teahouse construction, gives the architecture of the Bōka-kaku a distinctive place within the Garden.
In spring when the rows of cherry blossoms alongside the building are in bloom, we can see why the building is called the Bōka-kaku, “The Pavilion Alongside the Flowers.”
The current Bōka-kaku Pavilion was rebuilt in 1892.

The Kaitō-rō Bridge

: The Kaitō-rō is the wooden bridge connecting the North Island and the Tanpū-kei (“Vermilion Maple Ravine”) on the north shore of the Ingetsu-chi (“Moon Image Pond”). Before it was burned down in the Great Ansei Fire of 1858, it is said to have been an arched bridge with balustrades painted in vermilion. Now the bridge has a roof thatched with Japanese cypress bark in the middle of the bridge. In the ceiling of the traditional gabled roof, there is a metal peg installed. In the olden days, a golden colored lantern was hung on the peg and lit for guests who visited the Shōsei-en Garden after dark.
The current Kaitō-rō Bridge was rebuilt in around 1884.

Visiting the Garden

Hours
Open all year
- March to October:
  
  9:00 am to 5:00 pm
  (the reception desk closes at 4:30 pm)
- November to February:
  
  9:00 am to 4:00 pm
  (the reception desk closes at 3:30 pm)
Admission Fee
(Donation for Garden Maintenance)
- Adults (18+)
  
  ¥700
- Youth (13–18)
  
  ¥300
- Youth (12 or younger)
  
  Free
In addition to the admission fee, any amount of donation will be greatly appreciated.
Garden Rules and Etiquette
- Only the outdoor spaces of the garden are open to the public. The insides of the halls and teahouses are generally closed.
- No smoking is allowed.
- No food or drink is allowed (except water).
- Do not step on the moss. Stay on the walkways.
- Photography or videography in the garden is permitted for personal use only. Use of tripods or selfie sticks, or staying in the same spot for an extended period of time is not allowed, as it may obstruct or disturb other visitors. Use of drones for photography or videography without permission is also prohibited.
- All commercial uses including wedding photography or videography require fees and prior permission from the Higashi Honganji administration office.
Address
Higashi-tamamizu-chō,
Aino-machi Higashi-iru,
Shimo-juzuya-machi-dōri, Shimogyō-ku,
Kyoto, Kyoto 600-8190, Japan

Getting Here
- 10 min walk from JR Kyoto Station
- 15 min walk from Gojō Station of subway
- 20 min walk from Karasuma-shichi-jō bus stop
The West Gate is the only entrance and exit of the garden. Please visit the reception desk first to pay the admission fee.