Photo/Illutration A printed sheet covers the wall of the Western-style building at Kyu Furukawa Gardens in Tokyo. (Provided by the Tokyo Metropolitan Park Association)

Visitors to Kyu Furukawa Gardens in Tokyo can take pictures of famed roses against the backdrop of its British Renaissance-style building--well, almost.

The walls of the structure are undergoing repairs and a huge sheet on which a life-size image of the building is printed has been hung to keep the scaffolding out of view.

“From a distance, you do not feel anything strange about it,” a garden official said.

The building, originally a residence, was designed by British architect Josiah Conder (1852-1920), who was also responsible for Rokumeikan (Deer Cry Pavilion), a symbol of Japan’s Westernization during the Meiji Era (1868-1912).

The repair work will continue until around March because stones have deteriorated or fallen off.

The building and a Western-style garden, which features about 200 rose plants of 100 varieties, is a popular spot to snap photos.

The structure was covered with the printed sheet in late September so fans will still be able to take pictures of flowering roses with the building during the repair work.

“We want visitors to enjoy the sight they can see now or never,” a garden official said.

Kyu Furukawa Gardens, a metropolitan facility in the capital’s Kita Ward, is designated as a Place of Scenic Beauty by the government.

An autumn festival of roses, which started on Oct. 5, will run until Nov. 8.

Roses are expected to be at their best in mid-October, garden officials said.

Admission is 150 yen ($1) for adults.

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