Shisen-do

one harvest moon
special-delivered
little room
–Issa

Ishikawa Jozan was exiled by Tokugawa Ieyasu and escaped to Kyoto where he studied tea, the art, philosophy, and garden design.

In 1636 he built Shisen-do, so named for the portraits of thirty-six Japanese and Chinese poets that line the wall of one of the buildings. He lived here for forty years.

The simple exterior and approach to this garden belies the special experience that awaits you here.

Elements of both a dry garden and a stroll garden are found here. The use of karikomi or clipped shrubs is the main focus of this garden. The adjacent hillside is an integral part of the garden. In the spring the azaleas are a brilliant pink, and in the fall the maples are prominent.

Combine this experience with a visit to the Hachidai Shinto Shrine around the bend…and even a shiatsu treatment.