Chitose Bridge at Shugakuin Imperial Villa

　Chitose Bridge spans the water between the central island and the Banshō-u pavilion in the Yokuryuchi Pond at Shugakuin Imperial Villa. It is said to have been donated by Naito Nobuatsu, the Kyoto Shoshidai, during the villa’s renovation in the first half of the 19th century.

　The Kyoto Shoshidai was a key post established by the Edo Shogunate in Kyoto, primarily responsible for monitoring the Imperial Court and the court nobility, as well as exercising control over the daimyō of the western provinces. Whilst the Edo Shogunate exercised control over the Imperial Court, it also guaranteed the Court’s living expenses; furthermore, as the Seii Taishogun (Great General of the Eastern Expedition) was appointed by the Emperor, it can be said that the Shogunate utilised the Emperor’s authority to bolster its own legitimacy.

　The roof on the right-hand side is known as a ‘hōgyō-zukuri’ style, characterised by a roof that slopes at the same angle from the apex to all four corners, with a phoenix placed at the summit.

　It is a majestic bridge, truly befitting the climax of a visit to Shugakuin Imperial Villa.