Kojoin Garden

Kōjō-in Garden: A Hidden Pond Garden Where Architecture Meets Water at Mii-dera

Tucked within the vast precincts of Mii-dera (Onjō-ji), the head temple of the Tendai Jimon school in Otsu City, Shiga Prefecture, lies one of Japan's most refined pond gardens — Kōjō-in Garden (光浄院庭園). Designated by the national government as both a Place of Scenic Beauty and a Historic Site, this garden was laid out in the late Muromachi to Momoyama period and has been celebrated for its quiet elegance since the Edo period. Its true wonder reveals itself only when you step out onto the broad veranda of the National Treasure Kōjō-in Kyakuden (Reception Hall), where the pond water laps almost beneath your feet, dissolving the boundary between architecture and nature.

Because the Kyakuden and its garden are not part of the regular temple tour route, only those who reserve a special viewing in advance can witness this masterpiece — a privilege that makes the experience all the more unforgettable for international visitors seeking the deeper layers of Japanese culture.

The Story Behind the Garden

Kōjō-in is a sub-temple (tatchū) of Mii-dera, founded during the Muromachi period on the former site of the Jūen-bō by a member of the Yamaoka family. The temple complex underwent a turbulent history. In 1595, Mii-dera incurred the displeasure of Toyotomi Hideyoshi and was ordered into kessho — confiscation of its lands and de facto abolition. Buildings were dismantled and moved away, and only a few sub-temples were spared.

It was through the persistent petitions of a former Kōjō-in chief priest, Yamaoka Kageyū (later known as Dōami) — a warrior-monk who had served Hideyoshi as lord of Seta Castle — that the temple was eventually allowed to be restored just before Hideyoshi's death in 1598. The current Kōjō-in Kyakuden was rebuilt in 1601 by Dōami's own hand, and the pond garden in front of it is believed to have been laid out at the same time. The Edo-period scenic-spot designation noted that the garden's exact construction date is unclear but most likely dates from around 1601, the year the Kyakuden was completed.

Why It Was Designated a Place of Scenic Beauty and Historic Site

On December 28, 1934, Kōjō-in Garden was registered with the national government as both a Place of Scenic Beauty (meishō) and a Historic Site (shiseki) — a rare double designation that recognizes both its aesthetic merit and its historical importance.

Several qualities earned it this distinction:

• Architectural-garden integration: The pond pushes right up to the foot of the Kyakuden's veranda. This unusually intimate composition — almost as if the building stands above the water — anticipates the spatial dynamism that would later inspire 20th-century modernist architects.
• A complete vocabulary of Momoyama-period garden design: A central island bridged by stone, "night-mooring stones" symbolizing treasure ships, and a dry-waterfall stone arrangement on the hillside slope all coexist within a compact frame.
• Long-standing fame: The garden was already celebrated in Edo-period writings, marking it as one of the foundational reference works for Japanese garden history.
• Original setting preserved: Unlike many gardens that have been moved or heavily altered, Kōjō-in's pond and its companion Kyakuden have remained in their original spatial relationship for over four centuries.

Highlights and Things to See

Visitor Information

Visiting Kōjō-in requires advance arrangement. The Kyakuden and its garden are not included on the standard Mii-dera visitor route; instead, special viewings (tokubetsu haikan) are conducted by temple staff on request.

• Reservation: Required in advance. Groups of four or more only.
• Special viewing fee: 1,000 yen per person, in addition to the regular Mii-dera entrance fee.
• Closures: Special viewings may not be available on days when temple ceremonies are held.
• Contact: Mii-dera (Onjō-ji), Tel +81-77-522-2238 / Email info@shiga-miidera.or.jp

Photography rules and shoe-removal etiquette apply inside the Kyakuden. Because the garden is best appreciated from a seated position on the veranda, plan to spend at least 30 to 45 minutes here, longer if the light is changing.

Around Kōjō-in Garden

Mii-dera occupies a wooded hillside above Lake Biwa and offers a full day of cultural exploration:

• Mii-dera Kondō (Main Hall): National Treasure, rebuilt in 1599 with sponsorship from Kōdai-in (Hideyoshi's widow). One of the most important Momoyama-period temple buildings.
• The Bell of Mii (Mii no Banshō): Counted among the "Three Most Beautiful Bell Sounds of Japan" and famous as one of the Eight Views of Ōmi.
• Kangakuin Kyakuden: Another National Treasure, sister building to Kōjō-in's, also requiring advance reservation. Comparing the two side by side is a rare treat for architecture enthusiasts.
• Kannon-dō: The 14th temple of the Saigoku Thirty-three Kannon Pilgrimage, a centuries-old route still walked by pilgrims today.
• Lake Biwa shoreline: Just a short walk down from the temple, with views that have been celebrated in Japanese poetry for over a thousand years.
• Otsu city center and Hama-Otsu: Lakeside cafés, the Lake Biwa Canal cherry-blossom corridor in spring, and access to Sakamoto and Hieizan Enryaku-ji on the opposite side.