One Of Philadelphia's 'Best Hidden Tourist Attractions' Offers A Gorgeous Peek Into Japan

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, may be best known for Rocky, the Revolution, and its famous cheesesteak, but this tough, edgy, and most walkable city has a few surprises. It's home to America's oldest antiques district, and it's also somewhere you'll find one of the most tranquil Japanese gardens in the United States.

The Shofuso Japanese House and Garden opened in Philadelphia's Fairmount Park on October 19, 1958. Built in Japan, the house follows a 17th-century shoin-zukuri design of a temple guest house and contains a tea room, bath, kitchen, and a cypress wood hinoki bark roof. Shofuso's showcase of authentic Japanese craftsmanship prompted the Sukiya Living Magazine to name Shofuso the third-best Japanese garden in North America, a title it has held pretty much unwaveringly since.

The surrounding gardens cover 1.2 acres and feature striking cherry trees, manicured lawns, and soft, rolling slopes that lead visitors to a scenic pond. Bridges arch over the water, and scores of koi carp teeming below. Shofuso really is one of Philadelphia's best hidden attractions and has some of the most authentic and lovely Japanese aesthetics that will make you feel as if you're at this gorgeous garden prefecture in Yamaguchi.

Shofuso is not open all year round. The season typically begins in mid or late March and closes in late October before briefly reopening from early November to early December. Many people enjoy visiting during April when the cherry trees — known as sakura — blossom, just like in the old country. The beautiful, ethereal colors run for hundreds of yards and attract large crowds during the Subaru Cherry Blossom Festival of Greater Philadelphia's Sakura Weekend.

Junzo Yoshimura designed and built the Shofuso Japanese House and Garden back in the early 1950s. The architect first displayed his work at the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York City before it transferred to its now permanent home, Philadelphia's 2,000-acre Fairmount Park. Today, the city owns the site, and the Japan America Society of Greater Philadelphia (JASGP) operates it as a non-profit.

Adult tickets cost $14 per person, while seniors, students, teachers, and children aged between five and 17 pay an admission fee of $9. Whether you're strolling the grounds or observing the numerous waterfall murals within the house, remember to respect Japanese customs. Namely, remove your shoes before you enter the house, but don't go barefoot — wear clean socks or stockings.