Central Kyoto - Kyoto - page 164

SIGHTS

SENTŌ GOSHO
OFFLINE MAP
( 仙洞御所 ; 211-1215; Kamigyō-ku, Kyoto gyōen; 10min walk from Imadegawa Station, Karasuma subway
line) A few hundred metres southeast of the Imperial Palace is the Sentō Gosho. It was ori-
ginally constructed in 1630 during the reign of Emperor Go-Mizunō as a residence for re-
tired emperors. The palace was repeatedly destroyed by fire and reconstructed; it continued
to serve its purpose until a final blaze in 1854, after which it was never rebuilt. Today only
two structures, the Seika-tei and Yūshin-tei teahouses, remain. The magnificent gardens,
laid out in 1630 by renowned landscape designer Kobori Enshū, are the main attraction.

| NOTABLE BUILDING

Visitors must obtain advance permission from the Imperial Household Agency (see the
boxed text, CLICK HERE ) and be more than 20 years old. One-hour tours (in Japanese) start
daily at 11am and 1.30pm. The route takes you past lovely ponds and pathways and, in
many ways, a visit here is more enjoyable than a visit to the Gosho, especially if you are a
fan of Japanese gardens.

RESERVATION & ADMISSION TO KYOTO'S IMPERIAL PROPERTIES

Permission to visit the Gosho, Sentō Gosho, Katsura Rikyū and Shūgaku-in Rikyū is granted by the Kunaichō,
the Imperial Household Agency OFFLINE MAP ( 宮内庁京都事務所 ; 211-1215; 8.45am-noon, 1-5pm
Mon-Fri) , which is inside the Imperial Palace Park (Kyoto Gyōen), the park that surrounds the Kyoto Imperial
Palace (Kyoto Gosho). The agency office is a short walk from Imadegawa Station on the Karasuma line. You
have to fill out an application form and show your passport. Children can visit if accompanied by adults over 20
years of age (but are forbidden entry to the other three imperial properties of Katsura Rikyū, Sentō Gosho and
Shūgaku-in Rikyū). Permission to tour the palace is usually granted the same day (try to arrive at the office at
least 30 minutes before the start of the tour you'd like to join). Guided tours, sometimes in English, are given at
10am and 2pm from Monday to Friday. The tour lasts about 50 minutes.
The Gosho can be visited without reservation during two periods each year, once in the spring and once in the
autumn. The dates vary each year, but as a general guide, the spring opening is around the last week of April and
the autumn opening is in the middle of November. Check with the Tourist Information Center ( CLICK HERE ) for
exact dates.