Waterway Pavilion

The Suirokaku, or Waterway Pavilion, is a striking row of red-brick arches stretching ninety-three meters through the grounds of Nanzen-ji Temple. Built in eighteen ninety during the Meiji era, this structure was designed by engineer Sakuro Tanabe to carry water from Lake Biwa to Kyoto. Its Roman-style brick arches stand in sharp contrast to the surrounding centuries-old wooden temple buildings and mossy gardens, creating an unexpected, industrial silhouette against the traditional Higashiyama landscape.