The elegant Shosei-en Garden (aka. Kikoku-tei) is located about a short distance east of the Higashi Honjanji temple to which it belongs.
The Garden is originally said to be built on the Heian era site of the Rokujo Kawara-in mansion of Prince Minamoto no Toru, the son of Emperor Saga, in the late 9th century. Later, in 1641, the shogun Tokugawa Iemitsu presented a large parcel of land, which included the garden site, to the Higashi Honganji. In 1643, Sennyo Shonin, the 13th hereditary heir to the Honganji tradition on the Higashi side, commissioned Ishikawa Jozan to create a garden. This marked the beginning of the Shosei-en Garden.
In 1858 and 1864, fires swept the grounds, reducing its structures to ashes. But in 1865 and continuing on into the early years of the Meiji period (1868-1912), the buildings as well as the pond and the magnificent stone wall, were restored to their original condition, as we see them today.
Note: No food or drink allowed to be consumed in gardens.
Times and Prices
Admission: Recommended donation of 500 Yen
Hours: 09:00 - 16:00
Location
A 10 minute walk east of the Higashi Honjanji temple.
Address: Higashi-Tamamizu-cho, Shimojuzuyamachi, Ainomachi -Higashiiru Shimogyo-ku, Kyoto, 600-8190
Tel: 075 371 9182
How to Get There
About 10 Walk from Kyoto Station
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