Kaitoro Bridge
The bridge connecting the northernmost island in Ingetsuchi Pond, the central feature of Shoseien, with the pond’s north shore has been considered a highlight of the garden for centuries. The current bridge dates to 1884 and is distinguished by its roof, which combines a Chinese-inspired design with typically Japanese elements such as surfaces covered with shingles of hinoki cypress bark. This fusion of Chinese influences and Japanese aesthetics can be seen throughout the garden and reflects its original seventeenth-century design, thought to be the work of the Confucian scholar, poet, and calligrapher Ishikawa Jozan (1583–1672).
The roof section above the raised viewing platform in the middle of the bridge features elegant decorative curved gables. There is a hook in the ceiling above the viewing platform that was used to hang a lantern. The lantern was lit for guests visiting the garden after dark, some of whom would be ferried across the pond in a small boat on their way to one of the garden’s teahouses.