Daishoji Gardens
- Established: 1697
- Japanese: 大聖寺庭園 (Daishouji teien)
Bearing no connection to Daishôji castle or Daishôji han in Kaga province, the Daishôji Gardens in central Kyoto originally belonged to a nunnery established in 1697, when Empress Meishô moved a number of documents from her palace at Kawara and created this garden. The gardens are located on Karasuma-dôri, a short single city block north of the Kyoto Imperial Palace. The grounds include walls, and one surviving original gate, from the temple, which is no longer in operation.
Many renovations and such have likely occurred since then, but the "dry landscape" (kare sansui) garden continues to resemble one in the palatial style. The garden appears in Edo period documents as an exceptional garden, and was officially designated a "site of scenic beauty" (名勝) by the city of Kyoto in 1985.
References
- Plaques on-site.
