Located in Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania, Japanese House and Garden is a botanical garden. It sits roughly 1.7 km (1.1 mi) N of Mill Creek.
Shofuso (Japanese: 松風荘, lit. 'pine breeze villa'), also known as Japanese House and Garden, is a 17th century-style Japanese house and garden in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. It was originally exhibited at the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York in 1954, designed by the famed modernist Japanese architect Junzō Yoshimura. In 1958 it was relocated to Philadelphia's West Fairmount Park on the site of the Centennial Exposition of 1876. Shofuso is a nonprofit historic site with over 30,000 visitors each year and is open to the public for visitation and group tours.From the Wikipedia article “Shofuso Japanese House and Garden”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Japanese House and Garden the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 58° (ENE) at the June solstice and 121° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 302° (WNW) in June to 240° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 73° in summer but only 27° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:05 AM | 90° E | 7:13 PM | 271° W | 50° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:33 AM | 58° ENE | 8:34 PM | 302° WNW | 73° | 15h 01m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:49 AM | 89° E | 7:00 PM | 271° W | 50° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:20 AM | 121° ESE | 4:39 PM | 240° WSW | 27° | 9h 20m |
Azimuth is measured clockwise from true north (90° = east, 270° = west). Computed for 2026; values change by less than a degree from year to year.
Golden hour & blue hour by month
Gardens are best on bright overcast days or early mornings when dew is fresh and the wind is calm.
| Month (15th) | Blue hour starts | Sunrise | Golden hour ends | Golden hour starts | Sunset | Blue hour ends | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 6:52 AM | 7:21 AM | 8:03 AM | 4:19 PM | 5:00 PM | 5:30 PM | 9h 39m |
| February | 6:27 AM | 6:55 AM | 7:33 AM | 4:59 PM | 5:37 PM | 6:05 PM | 10h 42m |
| March | 6:46 AM | 7:13 AM | 7:49 AM | 6:32 PM | 7:08 PM | 7:35 PM | 11h 55m |
| April | 5:56 AM | 6:24 AM | 7:00 AM | 7:03 PM | 7:39 PM | 8:07 PM | 13h 15m |
| May | 5:16 AM | 5:47 AM | 6:25 AM | 7:31 PM | 8:10 PM | 8:40 PM | 14h 23m |
| June | 5:00 AM | 5:32 AM | 6:13 AM | 7:51 PM | 8:32 PM | 9:05 PM | 15h 00m |
| July | 5:13 AM | 5:45 AM | 6:25 AM | 7:50 PM | 8:30 PM | 9:01 PM | 14h 44m |
| August | 5:44 AM | 6:13 AM | 6:50 AM | 7:22 PM | 7:59 PM | 8:28 PM | 13h 46m |
| September | 6:15 AM | 6:43 AM | 7:18 AM | 6:36 PM | 7:11 PM | 7:39 PM | 12h 29m |
| October | 6:44 AM | 7:12 AM | 7:48 AM | 5:46 PM | 6:23 PM | 6:50 PM | 11h 11m |
| November | 6:18 AM | 6:47 AM | 7:27 AM | 4:06 PM | 4:46 PM | 5:15 PM | 9h 59m |
| December | 6:46 AM | 7:16 AM | 7:59 AM | 3:54 PM | 4:37 PM | 5:08 PM | 9h 21m |
Local time (America/New York), including daylight saving time. Golden hour runs from about −4° to +6° solar altitude, so the morning golden hour begins during blue hour, before sunrise.
Milky Way & night sky
From Japanese House and Garden, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 4.8 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 21° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 9 (inner-city sky), so expect visible sky glow; drive away from towns for better results.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | -3° | — |
| February | 5:08 AM – 5:18 AM | 0.2 | 11° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:18 AM – 5:38 AM | 1.3 | 18° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:16 AM – 4:36 AM | 2.3 | 21° | SE → S |
| May | 12:20 AM – 3:50 AM | 3.5 | 21° | SE → S |
| June | 10:35 PM – 3:25 AM | 4.8 | 21° | SE → SSW |
| July | 10:27 PM – 1:57 AM | 3.5 | 21° | S → SW |
| August | 9:41 PM – 12:01 AM | 2.3 | 21° | S → SW |
| September | 8:44 PM – 9:54 PM | 1.2 | 18° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:53 PM – 8:03 PM | 0.2 | 11° | SW → SW |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | 0° | — |
| December | Below 10° in darkness | — | -19° | — |
Window when the galactic core is at least 10° high during astronomical darkness on the 15th of each month. Pick nights within a few days of the new moon. Plan exact nights with the Milky Way planner.
Estimated sky darkness: 9 Bortle 9 — Inner-city sky. Only the Moon, planets and a few bright stars are visible. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 17.73 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 6.5+ to show low on the northern horizon here.
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show September as the clearest month (about 50% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (63%). July is the warmest month and January the coldest, which matters for gear, snow access and how long batteries last at night.
Average cloud cover (%)
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| High °F | 67 | 72 | 77 | 91 | 90 | 97 | 102 | 100 | 96 | 95 | 76 | 70 |
| Low °F | 0 | -1 | -3 | 25 | 35 | 46 | 55 | 54 | 43 | 30 | 21 | 10 |
| Precip. (in) | 2.9 | 3.1 | 3.6 | 3.7 | 3.7 | 4.8 | 4.5 | 4.4 | 4.2 | 4.2 | 3.5 | 3.9 |
Monthly climatology for the surrounding 1° grid cell from NASA POWER (MERRA-2). Mountain sites can be colder and cloudier than the cell average.
Photography tips for this botanical garden
- Many gardens restrict tripods or charge for photography; check the rules before you go.
- Backlit petals glow; position yourself so the sun is behind the flower.
- Seasonal exhibits (orchids, tulips, cherry blossoms) draw crowds — arrive at opening.
- Kaleidoscopic and abstract images are great for flower close-ups — try the online kaleidoscope tool.
- Tell someone where you're going in remote areas and carry the ten essentials.
Season: Spring bulbs and blossoms, summer perennials and autumn color; glasshouses offer winter subjects.
Suggested gear: Macro lens, Diffuser, Small reflector. Work out exposures with the depth of field, ND filter and NPF rule calculators.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of Japanese House and Garden, closest first.
Lighthouse
Botanical Garden
Waterfall
Botanical Garden
Covered Bridge
Botanical Garden
Botanical Garden
Lake
Botanical GardenFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Japanese House and Garden?
What time is golden hour at Japanese House and Garden?
Where does the sun rise and set at Japanese House and Garden?
Can you see the Milky Way from Japanese House and Garden?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Japanese House and Garden?
How far is Japanese House and Garden from Mill Creek?
Sources
Location data: Wikidata, Wikipedia. Sun, moon and Milky Way times are computed by LWPhoto Atlas for 2026. Climate: NASA POWER. Sky darkness is a population-based estimate (Walker's law), not a measurement. See data sources & licenses.