Shosei-en Garden explained

Shosei-en Garden
Type:Garden
Location:Japan
Nearest City:Kyoto
Coordinates:34.9914°N 135.7633°W

Shosei-en Garden (渉成園) is a garden in Kyoto, Japan. The garden has teahouses, a hall with a Buddhist altar, and two ponds. The garden was named by Sennyo Shōnin, who used the garden as a residence when he retired in 1653 and was gifted the land by the shōgun Tokugawa Iemitsu. Sennyo Shōnin named the garden after a line in the Chinese poem Let Me Return Home Again by Tao Yuanming.

The garden is about 35,000 square meters. It has a large central pond with walking paths around it. Historically, the garden served as a retirement spot for Buddhist abbots, and was also used for enjoying tea ceremony and poetry writing. The garden is now open to the general public. It is considered a Place of Scenic Beauty by the government of Japan.[1]

Notes and References

  1. Book: Shosei-en Garden: Kikoku-tei Villa . 2016 . Temple Services Reception Center, Religious Affairs Department, Shinshu Otani-ha . Kyoto, Japan.