Uploaded February 2026 | Updated September 2026, 1 week ago
Tucked away in the city of Philadelphia—just northwest of the Philadelphia Zoo is the Shofuso Japanese House & Garden. The 17th century-style building was designed by architect Junzo Yoshimura and was built in Japan in 1953 using traditional techniques and materials. It was later moved to Philadelphia and was designed to view the garden from the structure, as opposed to a stroll garden. We spent the day with head gardener, Sandi Polyakov, to learn more about the history of Shofuso and appreciate quintessential Japanese design.
Tucked away in the city of Philadelphia—just northwest of the Philadelphia Zoo is the Shofuso Japanese House & Garden. The 17th century-style building was designed by architect Junzo Yoshimura and was built in Japan in 1953 using traditional techniques and materials. It was later moved to Philadelphia and was designed to view the garden from the structure, as opposed to a stroll garden. We spent the day with head gardener, Sandi Polyakov, to learn more about the history of Shofuso and appreciate quintessential Japanese design.
