URL:   http://sankan.kunaicho.go.jp/guide/sento.html  Name: Sento Gosho  Sento Gosho, Kyoto Photo: Alan Tarver   Alternate Name: Retired Emperor's Villa, Sentou Imperial Palace  Address: Kyoto Gosho, Kamigyo-ku, Kyoto gyoen nai  Mailing Address:   City: Kyoto-shi  State: Kyoto-hu  Postal Code:   Country: JAPAN  Latitude/Longitude: lat=35.033; long=135.75 Find Gardens Nearby Phone:   Fax:   E-Mail:   Contact:   Designer(s): Kobori Enshu (for Gomizunoô)  Contruction Date: 1634 (Edo period); destroyed by fire in 1708, rebuilt and the burned again in 1854  Public/Private: PUBLIC  Hours: Tours at 11am and 1:30 except Saturday pm, Sunday, national holidays and New Year's (12/25 - 1/5)  Admission: See below  Added to JGarden: 1/1/1996  Last Updated: 4/3/2005  Sources:   JGarden Description: All visitor's must obtain permission in advance from the Kyoto office of the Imperial Household Agency (located on the grounds of the Gosho). This is a very sophisticated example of a stroll garden and is one of three extant imperial villas (the others are Katsura and Shugakuin) Construction of two gardens, Gomuzuno-o-jôkô and Nyoin Goshô, to the north, began in 1627. In the middle Edo period, the walls between the two sites were town down and the gardens were combined. The dry beach of the south pond is made up of small stones of almost uniform size and is known as Odawara Isshôishi Beach.

Since before anyone remembers It has been clear Shining like silver Though the moonlight penetrates it and the wind ruffles it No trace of either remains. Today I would not dare to expound the secret of the stream bed But I can tell you That the blue dragon is coiled there.   Muso Soseki   trans. by W.S. Merwin and Soiku Shigematsu   14th century