Shoyoen is a relatively new tourist attraction in Kaohsiung, Taiwan, and has been open to the public since 2020. It is one of the few Japanese-style buildings built during the Japanese colonial period. This building was built in 1940 by Otani Kozui as his villa. Seeing the potential of Kaohsiung, Otani built a farm here, and Shoyoen was built next to it. After World War II, it was turned into a part of a household village where soldiers of the ROC government and their families lived, and it was abandoned with the passage of time. It has been restored and preserved as a historic site.
Otani Kozui, who built Shoyoen, was the supreme leader of the Honganji sect of the Jodo Shinshu sect of Buddhism, and his activities were not confined to the framework of a religious leader. He was also the chief advisor to the government of the Republic of China led by Sun Yat-sen, and he sent the Otani Expedition, which brought back artifacts now in the Tokyo National Museum collection. Otani Kozui, a descendant of the third head of the sect, Kakunyo, apparently had immense power. However, the large cost burden put the Honganji temple's finances in jeopardy, and Otani Kozui was forced to retire as head of the temple. Despite his large scale, he may not have had much sense of money.
Aug 2024 ARCHITECTURE TAIWAN | |
DOOR KAOSHIUNG STAIRWAY WINDOW |
No
12639
Shooting Date
Mar 2024
Posted On
August 30, 2024
Modified On
September 4, 2024
Place
Kaoshiung, Taiwan
Genre
Architectural Photography
Camera
SONY ALPHA 7R V
Lens
ZEISS BATIS 2/40 CF