Rinchitei and Tekisuiken Reception Halls

These two interconnected reception halls in Shoseien garden were historically used for tea gatherings and entertainment organized for guests of Higashi Honganji Temple. Rinchitei, meaning pavilion on the pond, has a veranda facing the water directly. Tekisuiken, house by the stream, takes its name from the small waterway that flows from an artificial hill into the pond. Both buildings are deliberately plain in style, with tatami floors and minimal decoration inside and out. They were destroyed in the 1864 fires that swept through Kyoto and rebuilt in 1884. Groups can still rent the halls for private gatherings by arrangement with the temple.