Japanese Garden

In the garden and further along the building, verdant trees grow thickly before a background of cloudless blue skies. The blue skies are reflected in the calm pond in the foreground, in which many colored carp are swimming. A broad bridge extends across the pond, connecting the eastern and western ridges of the roof of Kyoto State Guest House.

The landscape of teioku-ichinyo, the exquisite harmony of the garden and the building

The garden incorporates the lush greenery of the Kyoto Gyoen National Garden as borrowed scenery and is designed to harmonize with the surrounding buildings with a variety of expression.
This ancient architectural philosophy is known as teioku-ichinyo.
It has long been an important part of the Japanese architectural and landscape aesthetic.

Highlights

Against a background of the garden, in which the trees have slightly begun to change colors, the bridge appears broad stretching over the pond, connecting the eastern and western eaves. Nebikigusa (sedge, a type of rush) grows in the pond in the foreground.

An Open Covered Bridge Between East and West Buildings

The bridge connects the east and west structures of State Guest House. The depth of the pond changes just under the bridge, with one section of the pond arranged with an island to suggest the sea, and the other planted with nebikigusa to simulate a rice paddy.

The garden in winter can be seen. Snow has piled on the trees and the roof of the building, whose image is reflected in the pond in the foreground.

A Garden for Every Seasons

Planted with a variety of trees and flowers, the garden is designed so that visitors can enjoy unique scenery in every season.

This photo of the bridge connecting the east and west eaves is taken from the perspective of a person walking along the bridge from the west side. The covered bridge's ceiling is in a

Mountain-shaped ceiling

Shaped like an inverted boat, the ceiling of the covered bridge is high at the center with sloping sides. The timber is Yoshino cedar, and the four corners are ornamented with openwork carvings of insect life.

A photo of the 'wasen' boat at its dock. In the foreground, the wooden boat can be seen, and in the distance, the pond and the eastern eave of Kyoto State Guest House.

Wasen: A Traditional Boat

Dignitaries from overseas can enjoy boating on the pond to experience Japanese culture. As the pond is quite shallow, the boat also has a shallow draft.

A photo taken directly above the colored carp in the pond. Fish swim elegantly in shades of red, white, black, and other colors.

Varicolored Carp

The northern section of the pond is stocked with varicolored carp, which foreign dignitaries often enjoy feeding.

For those who wish to pay a visit