Shōkōken Tea House, Kōkō-en Garden
description: The Shōkōken Tea House is a small rectangular building that has a single low level with a sloping tiled roof. It has a very simple frame. It’s surrounded by the garden. It is a single-story structure. The entrance is low and modest, it is requiring visitors to bow slightly as they step inside. The floor is covered with tatami mats. The Circulation is minimal, visitors enter directly into the tearoom, which opens visually to the garden through sliding doors. Movement is calm, controlled, and ceremonial, and it’s divided into a 4.5-mat layout. Sliding shōji screens open toward the garden, letting in soft, diffused light. The structure is simple, and the materials used in this tea house are wooden posts, plaster walls, and bamboo details. Inside the house, there are ornaments, and only natural textures of wood and paper, with shadows shifting gently across the space.
description: Interpretive reading: This tea house was built for quiet gatherings and the ritual of the tea ceremony. Its small scale creates intimacy, while the natural materials encourage harmony with nature. The humble entrance and minimal decoration reflect the values of wabi-sabi, finding beauty in simplicity. Unlike nearby castles or temples, the tea house is not about power but about refinement, reflection, and calm. It serves as a cultural balance, offering a place for stillness and connection.
creator: Builder: Himeji City and local craftsmen specializing in traditional Japanese tea houses
creator: Architect: Unknown (constructed in traditional style by preservation teams)
source: Image 1: kokoengarden3.jpg https://www.japan-experience.com/sites/default/files/images/content_images/kokoengarden3.jpg
source: Image 2: Koko-en-Garden05-640x400.jpg https://visit-himeji.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/Koko-en-Garden05-640x400.jpg
source: Image 3: Koko-en-Garden04-640x400.jpg https://visit-himeji.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/Koko-en-Garden04-640x400.jpg
date: Completed: 1992
contributor: Mursal Abdullah
format: Traditional Japanese
language: Himeji, Hyōgo Prefecture, Japan
type: Domestic
coverage: Located within Kōkō-en Garden, adjacent to Himeji Castle (UNESCO World Heritage Site).