Shinden Rest House
Near the northwest end of the garden, the Shinden Rest House features a room the size of 10 tatami mats from which visitors can enjoy a panorama of the garden. The building faces the Seiden Fields, where rice and other plants are grown, and overlooks the garden’s tea plantation.
The house was built in the first half of the nineteenth century and was initially known as Shin Goten before being changed to Shinden; both names mean “new palace.” The location at the perimeter of the garden means that when the shoji panels are open, those inside can appreciate the garden at one end of the house and the scene outside the garden at the other. Originally the scene was mainly countryside, but after World War II, as the city began to grow, the surrounding bamboo thicket was kept high to conceal the view of high-rise buildings outside the garden.
This house and others in the garden are open to the public in monthly rotation and can be rented with advance reservations.