Shisendo

Shisendo

Shisendo is located in Kyoto’s Sakyo Ward and is the site of the mountain villa of Ishikawa Jozan, a literati figure from the early Edo period. It has been designated as a National Historic Site. It is now a Soto Zen Buddhist temple, also known as Jozan-ji. Shisendo is also called "Dokkaku-an," which refers to a residence built on uneven terrain, with both the building and garden following the contours of the sloping land.

Shisendo is a mountain villa built by Ishikawa Jozan, a vassal of the Tokugawa family, for his retirement. Its name originates from the "Shisen-no-ma" (Hall of the Immortal Poets) in the western part of the main hall, where portraits of thirty-six Chinese poets are displayed on the walls. These "Poet Immortals" were selected in imitation of Japan’s Thirty-Six Immortal Poets and with the approval of Hayashi Razan, representing Chinese poets from the Han, Jin, Tang, and Song dynasties across different eras. The portraits were painted by the renowned Edo-period artist Kano Tanyu. Shisendo reflects how Chinese culture, including classical Chinese poetry, greatly influenced the character and refinement of Japanese literati at the time.

The garden of Shisendo is considered a masterpiece of Japanese garden design. It was conceived by Ishikawa himself as an imagined Chinese-style courtyard, but it remains a classic Japanese garden, with wooden structures, gravel paths, and planted areas that exude an elegant beauty.

Shisen-dō

Must-visit reason: A representative masterpiece of Japanese garden design

Continent where the attraction is located: Asia【Asia】

Country/Region where the attraction is located: Japan[Japan]

Prefecture/State where the attraction is located: Kyoto Prefecture [Kyoto Prefecture]

City where the attraction is located: Kyoto [Kyoto]