Shosei-en Garden

• Gardens fostered
• Restoring cultural properties

Kaito-ro Bridge

Shinsetsu-kyo Bridge

Sochin-kyo Teahouse

Boka-kaku Pavilion

Boka-kaku Pavilion

Rofu-tei Reception Hall

Tampu-kei, "Vermilion Maple Ravine"

Tampu-kei, "Vermilion Maple Ravine"

Rinchi-tei Reception Hall

Scenery seen from Rofu-tei Reception Hall (usually closed to the public)

Scenery seen from Sochin-kyo Teahouse (usually closed to the public)

Special Nighttime Opening

Special Nighttime Opening

Shinsetsu-kyo Bridge

Kaito-ro Bridge

Juniper Tree and Kyoto Tower

Taka-ishigaki ("High Stone Wall")

Minamoto no Toru yukari no to ("Memorial Pagoda for Minamoto no Toru")

Shosei-en is a garden that belongs to Higashi Hongan-ji Temple, the head temple of the Otani school of Shin Buddhism, but is detached from its main temple grounds. It is also known as Kikoku-tei (or Trifoliate Orange Villa) because it is surrounded by trifoliate orange trees.

Higashi Hongan-ji Temple was founded after Tokugawa Ieyasu, the first shogun* of the Edo period (1603-1868), donated land to it in 1602. Shogun Tokugawa Iemitsu later donated additonal land to the temple in 1641. Shosei-en was created on part of this added land when Sennyo, Higashi Hongan-ji Temple's thirteenth head abbott, retired in 1653.

As the place where acquaintances of the head abbott and even central figures from the Edo government were invited for receptions, Shosei-en enchanted many people. Among the many poets to extol its beauty was Rai Sanyo, a famous scholar of Chinese classics who wrote "A Record of Shosei-en" (Shoseien-ki) in 1827.

Shosei-en is an outstanding Japanese garden whose thirteen scenic highlights and other features pass on Edo period scenery to the current day.

*Starting from the late twelfth century, the Japanese title "shogun" ( or generalissimo) was given to the head of the military branch of Japan's government. During the Edo period, the shogun was a military ruler whose power extended over the entire country.