Shōren-in is a monzeki — a temple historically headed by an imperial prince — and one of the most underrated small temples in central Kyoto, ten minutes' walk north of Chion-in. The main hall opens onto a strolling garden attributed to the sixteenth-century master Kobori Enshū, with stone steps, a small pond, and a moss-edged hillside that climbs to a tea house. Sliding doors with vivid blue-leafed lotus paintings are removed in summer to let the breeze pass through.
The temple is at its best on weekday mornings, almost empty. Five vast 800-year-old camphor trees stand in front of the main gate — registered Natural Monuments, with trunks several metres across and roots that reach across the pavement. The temple holds occasional evening illuminations in spring and autumn that turn the modest garden into one of the most photogenic small spaces in Higashiyama.