Shōgoin: Treasures of a Kyoto Imperial Retreat Now Open to the Public

Shōgoin’s front gate.

A carefully raked sand garden.

The main entrance foyer. To the left is a display shelf of conch shell trumpets once used by the temple’s ascetic monks.

The Shinden was built in the late seventeenth century.

The artwork on the sliding doors of the Kujaku no Ma (Peacock Room).

View of the imperial dais from the Shinden hallway.

Chief priest Miyagi Taigaku explains the framed calligraphy.

The small hole for mice is another symbol of the importance of peaceful coexistence.

The alter dedicated to En no Gyōja, the founder of Shugendō.

A Fudō Myōō statue carved in the Muromachi period (1333–1568) stands in the inner sanctum.

Moved to Shōgoin in 1676, the Shoin is a designated important cultural property.

A nail cover ornament in the shape of a folded love letter.

The Shoin’s elegant window in the curved katōmado style is inset with rare glass panes.

Emperor Kōkaku’s palanquin.