The spring season special opening (春特別拝観) with extended hours and a beautiful light-up of the garden is ended yesterday at the last day of the official Golden Week. I experienced the garden today for the first time without visitors and was amazed by the atmosphere. Even the staff was gone while I did my last round of the day. I was tired after some days of long long working hours and all I wanted to do is sit on the wooden veranda (engawa – 縁側) of the temple, enjoy the garden and fall asleep.

I didn’t, but I took this picture:

Kaisan-do, the Hall of the Fouding Priest of the temple after hours