Dantei

The Dantei (South Garden) is a garden that extends in front of the Shishinden and has served as an important setting for court ceremonies alongside the Shishinden. The Shishinden is the main hall where significant events such as the Emperor’s Enthronement and seasonal ceremonies were held, and the Dantei also functioned as part of the ceremonial venue. During the Daijosai Ceremony, the Daijokyu Palace was temporarily constructed in the Dantei, where the Emperor performed important rituals.
In the early modern period, since the Chodoin of the Heian period no longer existed, the Shishinden and Dantei assumed its ceremonial functions. After the reconstruction during the Kansei era, certain architectural features of the Chodoin were incorporated into the corridors and gates surrounding the Shishinden. Together, the Dantei and Shishinden have preserved their dignity as ceremonial spaces that carry on the traditions of the Heian period.