June Garden Tour
Seasonal splendors at Heian Jingu Shrine’s Shin-en Garden
In a city renowned for its antiquity, it is a bit of a surprise to learn that one of the biggest and most popular shrines is quite new — well, 128 years new. Heian Jingu Shrine is located in the spacious area known as Okazaki. Its entrance off Jingu-michi Street is marked by enormous red shrine gates, or torii. Many of the city’s museums are in this area as well, along with the zoo, and theaters. It is a place that is often frequented by the city’s citizens and visitors.
In 1894, the city of Kyoto celebrated the 1,100th Anniversary of its founding. For the occasion, the city fathers decided to build a shrine in honor of Emperor Kammu, the emperor who founded the Heian capital of Kyoto. A committee of citizens decided that the shrine’s architecture should be modeled on Chodo-in Hall, a set of buildings that existed in the ancient capital.
Today, the shrine and its garden are visited by thousands daily, especially during spring, when the south garden is enveloped in the delicate pink blossoms of the hanging cherries, and May, when the azaleas take over, and then in June, when the color spectrum changes to purple as the irises that line great portions of the ponds in the west and central gardens bloom.
In keeping with the 1,000-year-old architecture upon which the replica was based, the famous gardener, Jihei Ogawa (1860-1933), designed a stroll-through garden as was popular in the Heian period. One of Japan’s great gardeners, his work received national recognition almost as soon as it was finished. Its maintenance keeps ten gardeners busy year-round and requires a great amount of money, some of which comes from the admission fees paid by thousands of yearly visitors.
Those only familiar with Western irises can look forward to meeting the aristocrats of this species. The first Japanese iris to make its appearance in Europe in 1872 was the roof iris (ichihatsu), so named because it was found growing here on the roofs of thatched farmhouses.
The hanashobu iris is a symbol of young boys, and adorns the sets of armor displayed in homes in May to celebrate Children’s Day (May 5th). Kakitsubata, or rabbit-ear iris and ayame (blue-flag iris) stand 60 to 80 cm tall, and are slender-leafed with rather flat tops compared to the fuller, more rounded Western iris. The color range includes yellow ones and white ones and all shades of purple.
Although Ogawa employed some typical Heian period gardening conceits, the garden is modern in its use of space. Essentially a stroll garden, it is also for viewing. Most visitors enjoy their last look from the seats that line the covered bridge, a structure that was moved here from the Imperial Palace.
When the garden was first constructed, the trees that form the north border were kept short to allow a view of the mountains — a gardening conceit known as shakkei, or borrowed scenery. Nowadays, the trees have grown and block out all the high-rises that have gone up.
The rainy season begins in June, but this shouldn’t be a cause for concern. Kyoto is the best place on the planet to be on a wet day. The rain is not chilly, but warm. Besides an invigorating freshness, it brings to all the gardens a kind of clarity and depth of color that is often washed out in intense sunlight. Just don’t forget your umbrella!
Heian Jingu Shrine
8:30-16:30; Kyoto City Bus #5, 100, get off at Okazaki Koen Bijutsukan/Heian Jingu-mae; www.heianjingu.or.jp
June 13: Free admission to enter the Shin-en Garden!
The shrine’s Shin-en Garden will be open to the public for free of charge only on July 13, 2023.