Shokado Hermitage
The thatched-roof Shokado hermitage was built in 1637 for the Buddhist monk Shokado
Shojo (1584–1639), who used it as both his residence and the base for his artistic pursuits in later
years. Well-connected with artists, members of the nobility, and the imperial family, Shojo continued
to entertain and hold tea gatherings in the tea room of this small building after retiring as the
chief abbot of Takimotobo Temple.
The hermitage is a traditional, simple structure with a thatched roof and a
two-tatami-mat tea room. The small seating area is surrounded by a Buddhist altar, a tokonoma alcove
for displaying art, a round hearth for heating water, and shelves for tea utensils. The woven bamboo
ceiling initially featured a different painting, but the current image of mythical birds in flight was
done sometime after the hermitage was moved from its original location on Mt. Otokoyama.
The Shokado hermitage with its adjacent tea garden (roji) is a designated
National Historic Site, and the building itself is a designated Cultural Property of Kyoto Prefecture.