Heijo Palace East Garden

The East Palace Garden of Heijō Palace: Walking Through the Roots of Japanese Garden Design

Tucked away in the eastern reaches of the vast Heijō Palace Site in Nara, the East Palace Garden (Tōin Teien) is one of Japan's most quietly remarkable cultural treasures. Restored on the very ground where it was first laid out more than 1,250 years ago, this elegant pond garden offers visitors a rare chance to step into the world of Nara-period emperors—a place where ceremonies were held, banquets were enjoyed, and the prototype of the Japanese garden as we know it began to take shape. As a part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site "Historic Monuments of Ancient Nara" and one of the country's designated Special Places of Scenic Beauty, the garden invites quiet contemplation in surroundings that few tourists ever discover.

Historical Background

The Heijō Palace served as the imperial residence and seat of government during the Nara period (710–784), when Heijō-kyō (modern-day Nara) flourished as the capital of Japan. The palace had an unusual feature not found in other ancient East Asian capital plans: an "eastern extension" that jutted out from the main palace grounds. The southern half of this extension was known throughout the Nara period as the "Tōgū" (Eastern Palace) or, more specifically during the reigns of Empress Kōken and her later reincarnation as Empress Shōtoku (mid-8th century), as the "Tōin" (Eastern Court).

According to the Shoku Nihongi—an official chronicle of the era—the Tōin served as a venue for state banquets, ceremonies, and receptions for foreign envoys, functioning much like a modern guesthouse for the imperial court. The garden remained in use through the early Heian period before being abandoned along with the rest of the palace following the capital's relocation.

For more than a thousand years, the garden lay buried and forgotten beneath rice fields and farmland. Then, in 1967, archaeologists from the Nara National Research Institute for Cultural Properties uncovered substantial garden remains in the southeastern corner of the East Extension. Decades of careful excavation followed, gradually revealing the full layout: an L-shaped pond with an elaborate cobblestone shoreline, set within a precinct measuring roughly 80 meters east-west by 100 meters north-south, surrounded by several buildings.

Based on these discoveries, restoration work began in 1993 under the supervision of the Agency for Cultural Affairs. After five years of meticulous reconstruction informed by archaeology, classical literature, and pictorial sources from later eras, the restored garden opened to the public in April 1998.

Why This Garden Was Designated

The East Palace Garden was designated a National Place of Scenic Beauty on July 23, 2009, and elevated to the highest rank—Special Place of Scenic Beauty—on August 5, 2010. This designation places it on equal footing with iconic sites such as Amanohashidate and the gardens of Kinkaku-ji.

Its value lies in three interconnected qualities. First, the garden represents a pivotal moment in landscape history: the fusion of indigenous Japanese garden traditions with continental influences imported from Tang China and the Korean Peninsula. The early-period garden featured straight stone-banked shorelines reminiscent of seventh-century Asuka-era ponds, while the later-period garden—the version reconstructed today—introduced curving cobblestone "beaches" (suhama) and miniature mountain-and-water (sansui) compositions that would become defining features of Heian and later Japanese gardens.

Second, the garden is the only known imperial palace garden of the Nara period to be substantially preserved and reconstructed in its original location. Its very existence allows scholars and visitors to verify what had previously been known only from textual fragments.

Third, the restoration itself is exceptional. The reconstruction faithfully reproduces excavated features—every cobblestone of the suhama, the angle of every bridge—based on rigorous study, while clearly distinguishing modern interventions from authentic ancient elements.

Highlights of the Garden

Visitor Information

The garden is open to the public free of charge, making it one of the very few Special Places of Scenic Beauty in Japan with no admission fee. It is located in the eastern part of the Heijō Palace Site Historical Park, which is somewhat removed from the main visitor hubs around Suzakumon Plaza and the First Daigokuden. This relative remoteness is part of its charm: visitors often have the garden largely to themselves, especially on weekday mornings or during off-season periods.

The most pleasant time to visit varies with the seasons. Spring brings cherry and plum blossoms, while autumn rewards visitors with quiet maple colors. Summer mornings, before the heat builds, offer the freshest views of the pond reflecting the vermilion buildings. Wear comfortable shoes—reaching the garden involves a walk of at least 10 to 25 minutes from any nearby station or bus stop.

Surrounding Attractions

The East Palace Garden is well-positioned for a half-day or full-day exploration of northern Nara. Within the palace site itself, visitors can reach the imposing First Daigokuden (the reconstructed main audience hall, completed in 2010), the Suzakumon Gate, and the Excavation Site Exhibition Hall, all within a 10–15 minute walk. Just outside the palace site, the Hokke-ji Temple—famed for its early-summer garden openings and its serene 11-faced Kannon statue—is less than 10 minutes away on foot, as is the small but historic Kairyūō-ji Temple.

Garden enthusiasts may also wish to visit the Sakyō-Sanjō-Nibō Palace Garden, another rare Nara-period garden site located about 15 minutes south. Together, these sites paint a remarkably complete picture of garden culture in the eighth-century capital.