Monument to Minamoto no Toru

A nine-story stone pagoda stands on a small islet in Ingetsuchi Pond within Shoseien garden. It's thought to date from the Kamakura period, making it significantly older than the garden itself. The pagoda commemorates Minamoto no Toru, a Heian-era statesman and poet who is sometimes cited as the inspiration for Hikaru Genji, the protagonist of 'The Tale of Genji.' When Shoseien was laid out in the 17th century, a theory suggested the site once held Minamoto no Toru's estate, inspiring designers to weave elements of an imagined 9th-century landscape into the garden's composition.