Shōsei-en Garden, Japanese garden in Shimogyo district, Kyoto, Japan
Shōsei-en is a Japanese garden in Shimogyō district, Kyoto, designed around a central pond crossed by curved bridges. The grounds include several traditional wooden structures, gravel paths, and a dense stand of pine and maple trees.
Sennyo, head priest of Higashi Honganji Temple, had the grounds laid out in 1653 as his retirement residence. A major fire in 1858 destroyed most structures, which were rebuilt in the late 19th century.
The name Shōsei-en means "Garden of Verdant Ripples", drawn from a Chinese poem describing the wide lawns between waterways. Temple visitors today use the grounds as a place for contemplation, walking narrow paths between historic pavilions and ponds.
The entrance sits about a ten-minute walk east of the main train station, opening in the morning and closing in late afternoon. Autumn evenings occasionally feature special lighting events.
The grounds hold a small willow tree where tradition says Sennyo sat while writing sutras. Visitors can also spot remnants of a former brick wall from the Edo period that once enclosed the entire site.
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