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  • The Adachi Museum of Art was based on the private collection of Zenko Adachi.  Adachi collected Japanese paintings, ceramics and scrolls.  Adachi himself was an aficionado of Japanese gardens and collected each pine tree and each stone for the garden himself from around Japan.   In this way he created a beautiful garden filled with his own vision and passion.  Adachi believed that Japanese gardens were "as beautiful as pictures” and even framed one of the gardens in one of the museums rooms as if it is a painting itself. Adachi Museum Garden has been selected as the best garden in Japan year after year since 2003, by the Journal of Japanese Gardens Shisai Project.
    adachi-garden-14.jpg
  • The Adachi Museum of Art was based on the private collection of Zenko Adachi.  Adachi collected Japanese paintings, ceramics and scrolls.  Adachi himself was an aficionado of Japanese gardens and collected each pine tree and each stone for the garden himself from around Japan.   In this way he created a beautiful garden filled with his own vision and passion.  Adachi believed that Japanese gardens were "as beautiful as pictures” and even framed one of the gardens in one of the museums rooms as if it is a painting itself. Adachi Museum Garden has been selected as the best garden in Japan year after year since 2003, by the Journal of Japanese Gardens Shisai Project.
    adachi-garden-03.jpg
  • Nitobe Memorial Garden is considered one of the most authentic Japanese gardens outside of Japan. When Emperor Akihito visited he said of the garden: “I am in Japan. ”  Nitobe Garden celebrates the memory of Dr. Inazo Nitobe  a remarkable Japanese figure whose goal was “to become a bridge across the Pacific” by promoting better understanding of Japanese culture in the West at a time when Japan was considered very foreign in the minds of most Westerners. <br />
The garden can be seen as a bridge connecting cultures: visitors from around the world meet and learn about each other and Japanese culture. <br />
Nitobe Memorial Garden was designed to create a reverence for and sense of harmony with nature. The Government of Japan sent Kannosuke Mori, a renowned landscape architect to design the garden and to ensure its authenticity.
    nitobe-garden-vancouver-01.jpg
  • The Adachi Museum of Art was based on the private collection of Zenko Adachi.  Adachi collected Japanese paintings, ceramics and scrolls.  Adachi himself was an aficionado of Japanese gardens and collected each pine tree and each stone for the garden himself from around Japan.   In this way he created a beautiful garden filled with his own vision and passion.  Adachi believed that Japanese gardens were "as beautiful as pictures” and even framed one of the gardens in one of the museums rooms as if it is a painting itself. Adachi Museum Garden has been selected as the best garden in Japan year after year since 2003, by the Journal of Japanese Gardens Shisai Project.
    adachi-garden-01.jpg
  • The Adachi Museum of Art was based on the private collection of Zenko Adachi.  Adachi collected Japanese paintings, ceramics and scrolls.  Adachi himself was an aficionado of Japanese gardens and collected each pine tree and each stone for the garden himself from around Japan.   In this way he created a beautiful garden filled with his own vision and passion.  Adachi believed that Japanese gardens were "as beautiful as pictures” and even framed one of the gardens in one of the museums rooms as if it is a painting itself. Adachi Museum Garden has been selected as the best garden in Japan year after year since 2003, by the Journal of Japanese Gardens Shisai Project.
    adachi-garden-08.jpg
  • The Adachi Museum of Art was based on the private collection of Zenko Adachi.  Adachi collected Japanese paintings, ceramics and scrolls.  Adachi himself was an aficionado of Japanese gardens and collected each pine tree and each stone for the garden himself from around Japan.   In this way he created a beautiful garden filled with his own vision and passion.  Adachi believed that Japanese gardens were "as beautiful as pictures” and even framed one of the gardens in one of the museums rooms as if it is a painting itself. Adachi Museum Garden has been selected as the best garden in Japan year after year since 2003, by the Journal of Japanese Gardens Shisai Project.
    adachi-garden-04.jpg
  • Shokokuji Temple Kaisando Garden - Shokoku-ji occupies a vast area of northern Kyoto with many sub-temples under its dominion. In addition to the main hall Hojo gardens, the Kaisando next door is really the showcase of Shokokuji gardens. The Kaisando front garden is dedicated to Muso Soseki a prominent figure in Japanese Buddhism and forerunner of Japanese garden design. The two tiered Ryubuchimizu-no- Niwa garden has white sand in the foreground and moss at the base of maple trees in back.  The Kaisando garden has been listed as a National Important Property by the Japanese government. 
    Shokokuji-Kaisando-Garden-1.jpg
  • Shokokuji Temple Kaisando Garden - Shokoku-ji occupies a vast area of northern Kyoto with many sub-temples under its dominion. In addition to the main hall Hojo gardens, the Kaisando next door is really the showcase of Shokokuji gardens. The Kaisando front garden is dedicated to Muso Soseki a prominent figure in Japanese Buddhism and forerunner of Japanese garden design. The two tiered Ryubuchimizu-no- Niwa garden has white sand in the foreground and moss at the base of maple trees in back.  The Kaisando garden has been listed as a National Important Property by the Japanese government. 
    Shokokuji-Kaisando-Garden-3.jpg
  • Shokokuji Temple Kaisando Garden - Shokoku-ji occupies a vast area of northern Kyoto with many sub-temples under its dominion. In addition to the main hall Hojo gardens, the Kaisando next door is really the showcase of Shokokuji gardens. The Kaisando front garden is dedicated to Muso Soseki a prominent figure in Japanese Buddhism and forerunner of Japanese garden design. The two tiered Ryubuchimizu-no- Niwa garden has white sand in the foreground and moss at the base of maple trees in back.  The Kaisando garden has been listed as a National Important Property by the Japanese government. 
    Shokokuji-Kaisando-Garden-5.jpg
  • Fukuda Art Museum Garden - Based on the basic qualities of Kyoto’s traditional machiya townhouses, the museum building aims for a special derivative Japanese architecture. Even considering contemporary architecture, the exhibition room has the feeling of a warehouse, although the essence of the Kyoto machiya style has been taken into consideration. There is a reflective pond garden running from the building to the river.  It is a very modern garden that reflects Arashiyama as a water mirror. The overall architectural design was created by Yasuda Atelier and designed by Mitani Landscape Studio and constructed by Ueyakato Landscape, a purveyor of gardenIng services in Kyoto. 
    Fukuda-Museum-Garden-3.jpg
  • Kyocera Museum Garden - the museum and garden were founded in 1933, occupying the large space of a product display facility that the city acquired. The pond garden behind the museum was designed and created by Ogawa Jihei,the 7th generation of this celebrated family of Japanese garden masters. In this Meiji period garden, the pond makes use of Lake Biwa Canal water and uses Higashiyama hills as a backdrop. 
    kyocera-garden-2.jpg
  • Kyocera Museum Garden - the museum and garden were founded in 1933, occupying the large space of a product display facility that the city acquired. The pond garden behind the museum was designed and created by Ogawa Jihei,the 7th generation of this celebrated family of Japanese garden masters. In this Meiji period garden, the pond makes use of Lake Biwa Canal water and uses Higashiyama hills as a backdrop. 
    kyocera-garden-4.jpg
  • Ritsurin is a landscape garden in Takamatsu  built by the local feudal lords during the Edo Period. Considered one of the finest gardens in Japan.  Ritsurin features many ponds, hills and pavilions set in front of wooded Mt. Shiun which serves as a background and example of borrowed scenery and Japanese gardening design.
    ritsurin-garden-07.jpg
  • Westin Kyoto Garden  - The Aoiden Garden and Kasuien Garden were created by the 7th generation of Ogawa Jihei Ueji and his son - 8th generation  - Ogawa Shirayo a landscape architect representing modern Kyoto.  Kasuien was renovated in 2020 by Hiroshi Nakamura.  Originally, Kasuien is where the villa Kiyoura of the Prime Minister Kiyoura Keigo in the Taisho era was built -  the garden was also created at the time of its construction. This is a pond garden that creates a stream by flowing water while making the best use of the natural bedrock and the unevenness of the rock wall.  Miyako Hotel is also close to Yamagata's villa. After the death of Kiyoura, it was donated to the Miyako Hotel, and the current Sukiya-style annex Kasuien was built by Togo Murano. The dry garden part of the white sand was added by Togo Murano.
    westin-kyoto-garden-5.jpg
  • Mio Shrine is a shrine in Takashima City and although its construction is unknown, it is an old shrine that has a record of existence from the year 765 in the Nara period.  There is a very unique three dimensional garden and double layer with two tiers, which occupies much of the domain, was completed in 1996.  It is called Mizuo Garden, though its designer is unclear.
    mio-shrine-garden-16.jpg
  • Fujita Memorial Japanese Garden in Hirosaki was built in 1919 -  a classic traditional Japanese landscape strolling garden.  The spacious garden is separated into two parts: an upper section and a lower section. It is named after its first owner, local businessman Fujita Kenichi.  The garden composition includes a traditional Japanese house in the upper section and a tea ceremony house in the lower section.  Both buildings placed to give views onto the surrounding landscape. There is also a tearoom from the Taisho era within the garden.
    fujita-garden-2.jpg
  • Mio Shrine is a shrine in Takashima City and although its construction is unknown, it is an old shrine that has a record of existence from the year 765 in the Nara period.  There is a very unique three dimensional garden and double layer with two tiers, which occupies much of the domain, was completed in 1996.  It is called Mizuo Garden, though its designer is unclear.
    mio-shrine-garden-09.jpg
  • Mio Shrine is a shrine in Takashima City and although its construction is unknown, it is an old shrine that has a record of existence from the year 765 in the Nara period.  There is a very unique three dimensional garden and double layer with two tiers, which occupies much of the domain, was completed in 1996.  It is called Mizuo Garden, though its designer is unclear.
    mio-shrine-garden-01-2.jpg
  • Hisuien Jade Garden  - A 70 ton boulder of cobalt jade greets you as you enter the gate to this beautifully-landscaped Japanese garden. The site area is 17,000 square meters - the garden is composed of three waterfalls, a wandering pond with curving waterways with a pine forest in the background. It is an elegant strolling garden using megaliths and many large stones. Spring begins with red plums and white plums, followed by fresh greenery and satsuki, followed by moss in the rainy season, autumn leaves of Enkianthus perulatus and maple leaves, and a snowy landscape in winter.  The garden was created by Nakane Kinsaku, and its sister garden nearby Gyokusuien was also created by Nakane.  Hisuien Jade Garden opened in 1978
    Hisuien-Jade-Garden -05.jpg
  • Westin Kyoto Garden  - The Aoiden Garden and Kasuien Garden were created by the 7th generation of Ogawa Jihei Ueji and his son - 8th generation  - Ogawa Shirayo a landscape architect representing modern Kyoto.  Kasuien was renovated in 2020 by Hiroshi Nakamura.  Originally, Kasuien is where the villa Kiyoura of the Prime Minister Kiyoura Keigo in the Taisho era was built -  the garden was also created at the time of its construction. This is a pond garden that creates a stream by flowing water while making the best use of the natural bedrock and the unevenness of the rock wall.  Miyako Hotel is also close to Yamagata's villa. After the death of Kiyoura, it was donated to the Miyako Hotel, and the current Sukiya-style annex Kasuien was built by Togo Murano. The dry garden part of the white sand was added by Togo Murano.
    westin-kyoto-garden-1.jpg
  • Ritsurin is a landscape garden in Takamatsu  built by the local feudal lords during the Edo Period. Considered one of the finest gardens in Japan,  Ritsurin features many ponds, hills and pavilions set in front of wooded Mt. Shiun which serves as a background and example of borrowed scenery and Japanese gardening design.
    ritsurin-garden-21.jpg
  • Shofu-en has three famous gardens: Iwakura, Horai and Kyokusui. These modern Japanese gardens were designed by Mirei Shigemori during the Showa era. They are among the greatest of Japanese gardens designed after the Meiji era. Mirei designed them with a combination of rocks, and the opposite concepts of "stillness" and "movement" in harmony.
    matsuo-shrine-garden-13.jpg
  • Engetsukyo Bridge at Ritsurin - a landscape garden in Takamatsu  built by the local feudal lords during the Edo Period. Considered one of the finest gardens in Japan,  Ritsurin features many ponds, hills and pavilions set in front of wooded Mt. Shiun which serves as a background and example of borrowed scenery and Japanese gardening design.
    ritsurin-garden-12.jpg
  • Ritsurin is a landscape garden in Takamatsu  built by the local feudal lords during the Edo Period. Considered one of the finest gardens in Japan,  Ritsurin features many ponds, hills and pavilions set in front of wooded Mt. Shiun which serves as a background and example of borrowed scenery and Japanese gardening design.
    ritsurin-garden-10.jpg
  • Kyoto Prefectural Guest House Garden - This small garden centers around a carp pond with an overlooking teahouse up on a hill in the background. There is a small waterfall that cascades into the pond from an artificial hill in the northeast corner. Natural stepping stones surround the pond, leading up to the teahouse. Both the garden and teahouse were designed and created by landscape architect Masuno Shunmyo.
    kyoto-prefecture-hall-garden-12.jpg
  • Kinsaku Nakane Garden - The courtyard of the Elderly Welfare Center Kosai is a dry garden designed by world-famous landscape architect Kinsaku Nakane.  Nakane dedicated his life to landscape architecture after having been impressed by the beauty of the stone garden of Tenryu-ji in Kyoto.  After moving to Kyoto and his research in the preservation and restoration of antique gardens, he designed and created more than 300 landscape architectural projects.  These were conducted both in Japan and overseas. Mastering landscape gardening techniques on his own, he explored new designs based on the beauty of the classic Japanese gardens.  Nakane said that “Creating garden is like painting on three-dimensional space using materials such as stones and trees.” -
    nakane-kinsaku-garden-01.jpg
  • Ritsurin is a landscape garden in Takamatsu  built by the local feudal lords during the Edo Period. Considered one of the finest gardens in Japan,  Ritsurin features many ponds, hills and pavilions set in front of wooded Mt. Shiun which serves as a background and example of borrowed scenery and Japanese gardening design.
    ritsurin-garden-06.jpg
  • Kyoto Prefectural Guest House Garden - This small garden centers around a carp pond with an overlooking teahouse up on a hill in the background. There is a small waterfall that cascades into the pond from an artificial hill in the northeast corner. Natural stepping stones surround the pond, leading up to the teahouse. Both the garden and teahouse were designed and created by landscape architect Masuno Shunmyo.
    kyoto-prefecture-hall-garden-09.jpg
  • Kyoto Prefectural Guest House Garden - This small garden centers around a carp pond with an overlooking teahouse up on a hill in the background. There is a small waterfall that cascades into the pond from an artificial hill in the northeast corner. Natural stepping stones surround the pond, leading up to the teahouse. Both the garden and teahouse were designed and created by landscape architect Masuno Shunmyo.
    kyoto-prefecture-hall-garden-03.jpg
  • Kyoto Prefectural Guest House Garden - This small garden centers around a carp pond with an overlooking teahouse up on a hill in the background. There is a small waterfall that cascades into the pond from an artificial hill in the northeast corner. Natural stepping stones surround the pond, leading up to the teahouse. Both the garden and teahouse were designed and created by landscape architect Masuno Shunmyo.
    kyoto-prefecture-hall-garden-11.jpg
  • Kyoto Prefectural Guest House Garden - This small garden centers around a carp pond with an overlooking teahouse up on a hill in the background. There is a small waterfall that cascades into the pond from an artificial hill in the northeast corner. Natural stepping stones surround the pond, leading up to the teahouse. Both the garden and teahouse were designed and created by landscape architect Masuno Shunmyo.
    kyoto-prefecture-hall-garden-13.jpg
  • Kyoto Prefectural Guest House Garden - This small garden centers around a carp pond with an overlooking teahouse up on a hill in the background. There is a small waterfall that cascades into the pond from an artificial hill in the northeast corner. Natural stepping stones surround the pond, leading up to the teahouse. Both the garden and teahouse were designed and created by landscape architect Masuno Shunmyo.
    kyoto-prefecture-hall-garden-06.jpg
  • Kyoto Prefectural Guest House Garden - This small garden centers around a carp pond with an overlooking teahouse up on a hill in the background. There is a small waterfall that cascades into the pond from an artificial hill in the northeast corner. Natural stepping stones surround the pond, leading up to the teahouse. Both the garden and teahouse were designed and created by landscape architect Masuno Shunmyo.
    kyoto-prefecture-hall-garden-04.jpg
  • Westin Kyoto Garden  - The Aoiden Garden and Kasuien Garden were created by the 7th generation of Ogawa Jihei Ueji and his son - 8th generation  - Ogawa Shirayo a landscape architect representing modern Kyoto.  Kasuien was renovated in 2020 by Hiroshi Nakamura.  Originally, Kasuien is where the villa Kiyoura of the Prime Minister Kiyoura Keigo in the Taisho era was built -  the garden was also created at the time of its construction. This is a pond garden that creates a stream by flowing water while making the best use of the natural bedrock and the unevenness of the rock wall.  Miyako Hotel is also close to Yamagata's villa. After the death of Kiyoura, it was donated to the Miyako Hotel, and the current Sukiya-style annex Kasuien was built by Togo Murano. The dry garden part of the white sand was added by Togo Murano.
    westin-kyoto-garden-3.jpg
  • Gate at Hinata-wada Riverside Garden - Ome City opened up this domain built by Tsukumo Teruyuki in the early Showa period as a riverside garden along the Tama River. Its tiny teahouse was built by local Ome craftsmen and designed by Kawarimaki Iriomoya.  Tsukumo had been involved in a member of the Japan House of Representatives during the Showa era, so many high-ranking government officials and famous people of the time have visited. One of the highlights of the teahouse is the delicate workmanship such as family crests and phoenix images.
    hinata-wada-garden-10.jpg
  • Westin Kyoto Garden  - The Aoiden Garden and Kasuien Garden were created by the 7th generation of Ogawa Jihei Ueji and his son - 8th generation  - Ogawa Shirayo a landscape architect representing modern Kyoto.  Kasuien was renovated in 2020 by Hiroshi Nakamura.  Originally, Kasuien is where the villa Kiyoura of the Prime Minister Kiyoura Keigo in the Taisho era was built -  the garden was also created at the time of its construction. This is a pond garden that creates a stream by flowing water while making the best use of the natural bedrock and the unevenness of the rock wall.  Miyako Hotel is also close to Yamagata's villa. After the death of Kiyoura, it was donated to the Miyako Hotel, and the current Sukiya-style annex Kasuien was built by Togo Murano. The dry garden part of the white sand was added by Togo Murano.
    westin-kyoto-garden-4.jpg
  • Mio Shrine is a shrine in Takashima City and although its construction is unknown, it is an old shrine that has a record of existence from the year 765 in the Nara period.  There is a very unique three dimensional garden and double layer with two tiers, which occupies much of the domain, was completed in 1996.  It is called Mizuo Garden, though its designer is unclear.
    mio-shrine-garden-15-2.jpg
  • Mio Shrine is a shrine in Takashima City and although its construction is unknown, it is an old shrine that has a record of existence from the year 765 in the Nara period.  There is a very unique three dimensional garden and double layer with two tiers, which occupies much of the domain, was completed in 1996.  It is called Mizuo Garden, though its designer is unclear.
    mio-shrine-garden-06-2.jpg
  • Mio Shrine is a shrine in Takashima City and although its construction is unknown, it is an old shrine that has a record of existence from the year 765 in the Nara period.  There is a very unique three dimensional garden and double layer with two tiers, which occupies much of the domain, was completed in 1996.  It is called Mizuo Garden, though its designer is unclear.
    mio-shrine-garden-04-2.jpg
  • Mio Shrine is a shrine in Takashima City and although its construction is unknown, it is an old shrine that has a record of existence from the year 765 in the Nara period.  There is a very unique three dimensional garden and double layer with two tiers, which occupies much of the domain, was completed in 1996.  It is called Mizuo Garden, though its designer is unclear.
    mio-shrine-garden-08.jpg
  • Mio Shrine is a shrine in Takashima City and although its construction is unknown, it is an old shrine that has a record of existence from the year 765 in the Nara period.  There is a very unique three dimensional garden and double layer with two tiers, which occupies much of the domain, was completed in 1996.  It is called Mizuo Garden, though its designer is unclear.
    mio-shrine-garden-07-2.jpg
  • Mio Shrine is a shrine in Takashima City and although its construction is unknown, it is an old shrine that has a record of existence from the year 765 in the Nara period.  There is a very unique three dimensional garden and double layer with two tiers, which occupies much of the domain, was completed in 1996.  It is called Mizuo Garden, though its designer is unclear.
    mio-shrine-garden-05.jpg
  • Myotsuji Garden - The foundation of Myotsu-ji is uncertain though temple records date its construction to 1374, and its foundation in the year 806. Two of the structures of the temple date to the Kamakura Period  - the main hall and the pagoda both of which are designated National Treasures. Myotsuji Temple is a Shingon Sect temple There are stunning Japanese gardens inside the temple grounds and on the approach to the temple. The natural scenery around the temple changes with the seasons, most dramatically in autumn.
    myotsugi-garden-2.jpg
  • Mio Shrine is a shrine in Takashima City and although its construction is unknown, it is an old shrine that has a record of existence from the year 765 in the Nara period.  There is a very unique three dimensional garden and double layer with two tiers, which occupies much of the domain, was completed in 1996.  It is called Mizuo Garden, though its designer is unclear.
    mio-shrine-garden-17.jpg
  • Mio Shrine is a shrine in Takashima City and although its construction is unknown, it is an old shrine that has a record of existence from the year 765 in the Nara period.  There is a very unique three dimensional garden and double layer with two tiers, which occupies much of the domain, was completed in 1996.  It is called Mizuo Garden, though its designer is unclear.
    mio-shrine-garden-02.jpg
  • Kyoto Prefectural Guest House Garden - This small garden centers around a carp pond with an overlooking teahouse up on a hill in the background. There is a small waterfall that cascades into the pond from an artificial hill in the northeast corner. Natural stepping stones surround the pond, leading up to the teahouse. Both the garden and teahouse were designed and created by landscape architect Masuno Shunmyo.
    kyoto-prefecture-hall-garden-07.jpg
  • Mio Shrine is a shrine in Takashima City and although its construction is unknown, it is an old shrine that has a record of existence from the year 765 in the Nara period.  There is a very unique three dimensional garden and double layer with two tiers, which occupies much of the domain, was completed in 1996.  It is called Mizuo Garden, though its designer is unclear.
    mio-shrine-garden-21.jpg
  • Mio Shrine is a shrine in Takashima City and although its construction is unknown, it is an old shrine that has a record of existence from the year 765 in the Nara period.  There is a very unique three dimensional garden and double layer with two tiers, which occupies much of the domain, was completed in 1996.  It is called Mizuo Garden, though its designer is unclear.
    mio-shrine-garden-15.jpg
  • Mio Shrine is a shrine in Takashima City and although its construction is unknown, it is an old shrine that has a record of existence from the year 765 in the Nara period.  There is a very unique three dimensional garden and double layer with two tiers, which occupies much of the domain, was completed in 1996.  It is called Mizuo Garden, though its designer is unclear.
    mio-shrine-garden-07.jpg
  • Hisuien Jade Garden  - A 70 ton boulder of cobalt jade greets you as you enter the gate to this beautifully-landscaped Japanese garden. The site area is 17,000 square meters - the garden is composed of three waterfalls, a wandering pond with curving waterways with a pine forest in the background. It is an elegant strolling garden using megaliths and many large stones. Spring begins with red plums and white plums, followed by fresh greenery and satsuki, followed by moss in the rainy season, autumn leaves of Enkianthus perulatus and maple leaves, and a snowy landscape in winter.  The garden was created by Nakane Kinsaku, and its sister garden nearby Gyokusuien was also created by Nakane.  Hisuien Jade Garden opened in 1978
    Hisuien-Jade-Garden -09.jpg
  • Hisuien Jade Garden  - A 70 ton boulder of cobalt jade greets you as you enter the gate to this beautifully-landscaped Japanese garden. The site area is 17,000 square meters - the garden is composed of three waterfalls, a wandering pond with curving waterways with a pine forest in the background. It is an elegant strolling garden using megaliths and many large stones. Spring begins with red plums and white plums, followed by fresh greenery and satsuki, followed by moss in the rainy season, autumn leaves of Enkianthus perulatus and maple leaves, and a snowy landscape in winter.  The garden was created by Nakane Kinsaku, and its sister garden nearby Gyokusuien was also created by Nakane.  Hisuien Jade Garden opened in 1978
    Hisuien-Jade-Garden -07.jpg
  • Hisuien Jade Garden  - A 70 ton boulder of cobalt jade greets you as you enter the gate to this beautifully-landscaped Japanese garden. The site area is 17,000 square meters - the garden is composed of three waterfalls, a wandering pond with curving waterways with a pine forest in the background. It is an elegant strolling garden using megaliths and many large stones. Spring begins with red plums and white plums, followed by fresh greenery and satsuki, followed by moss in the rainy season, autumn leaves of Enkianthus perulatus and maple leaves, and a snowy landscape in winter.  The garden was created by Nakane Kinsaku, and its sister garden nearby Gyokusuien was also created by Nakane.  Hisuien Jade Garden opened in 1978
    Hisuien-Jade-Garden -03.jpg
  • Kinsaku Nakane Garden - The courtyard of the Elderly Welfare Center Kosai is a dry garden designed by world-famous landscape architect Kinsaku Nakane.  Nakane dedicated his life to landscape architecture after having been impressed by the beauty of the stone garden of Tenryu-ji in Kyoto.  After moving to Kyoto and his research in the preservation and restoration of antique gardens, he designed and created more than 300 landscape architectural projects.  These were conducted both in Japan and overseas. Mastering landscape gardening techniques on his own, he explored new designs based on the beauty of the classic Japanese gardens.  Nakane said that “Creating garden is like painting on three-dimensional space using materials such as stones and trees.”
    nakane-garden-5.jpg
  • Mio Shrine is a shrine in Takashima City and although its construction is unknown, it is an old shrine that has a record of existence from the year 765 in the Nara period.  There is a very unique three dimensional garden and double layer with two tiers, which occupies much of the domain, was completed in 1996.  It is called Mizuo Garden, though its designer is unclear.
    mio-shrine-garden-14.jpg
  • Shofu-en has three famous gardens: Iwakura, Horai and Kyokusui. These modern Japanese gardens were designed by Mirei Shigemori during the Showa era. They are among the greatest of Japanese gardens designed after the Meiji era. Mirei designed them with a combination of rocks, and the opposite concepts of "stillness" and "movement" in harmony.
    matsuo-shrine-garden-12.jpg
  • Kinsaku Nakane Garden - The courtyard of the Elderly Welfare Center Kosai is a dry garden designed by world-famous landscape architect Kinsaku Nakane.  Nakane dedicated his life to landscape architecture after having been impressed by the beauty of the stone garden of Tenryu-ji in Kyoto.  After moving to Kyoto and his research in the preservation and restoration of antique gardens, he designed and created more than 300 landscape architectural projects.  These were conducted both in Japan and overseas. Mastering landscape gardening techniques on his own, he explored new designs based on the beauty of the classic Japanese gardens.  Nakane said that “Creating garden is like painting on three-dimensional space using materials such as stones and trees.”
    nakane-garden-4.jpg
  • Mio Shrine is a shrine in Takashima City and although its construction is unknown, it is an old shrine that has a record of existence from the year 765 in the Nara period.  There is a very unique three dimensional garden and double layer with two tiers, which occupies much of the domain, was completed in 1996.  It is called Mizuo Garden, though its designer is unclear.
    mio-shrine-garden-11.jpg
  • Daichiji Garden - It is said that the beginning of the temple the area was formed by Gyoki.  The name of the temple is also derived from Shinji-no-Ike pond which moistened the surrounding paddy fields as irrigation water for more than 1,000 years.  The Horai Garden of Daichiji Shoin, a Zen temple. It is said that Kobori Enshu, who built Minakuchi Castle in the Edo period, created this garden as a landscape garden. The two-tiered large pruned bushes in front of the temple represents the waves of the sea, and the figure of a treasure ship floating on pure white sand. It is wonderful to symbolize the Seven Lucky Gods as if they were riding on the waves. In addition, the stonework of Mt. Horai seen from the front of the tea room leading to the temple is also impressive.
    daichiji-garden-10.jpg
  • Daizenji Japanese Garden - Daizenji Temple was built in Koshu by Buddhist priest Gyoki in 718.  It is sometimes called the “grape temple” as Gyoki was met by the presence of Yakushi Nyorai the Buddhist disciple of healing holding a cluster of grapes. As a result the temple has come to be called "the birthplace of the Koshu Grape.”  The temple even offers wine tasting, the only one in Japan to honor this custom, since it is at the heart of the Katsunuma wine district of Yamanashi.  Over the course of its long history, many of the temple structures have been destroyed by natural disaster - most of what remains is Yakushi Hall and the Sammon Gate.  Daizenji also has an impressive Japanese pond garden within its grounds, ideally viewed from the washitsu tatami room
    daizenji-garden.jpg
  • Hisuien Jade Garden  - A 70 ton boulder of cobalt jade greets you as you enter the gate to this beautifully-landscaped Japanese garden. The site area is 17,000 square meters - the garden is composed of three waterfalls, a wandering pond with curving waterways with a pine forest in the background. It is an elegant strolling garden using megaliths and many large stones. Spring begins with red plums and white plums, followed by fresh greenery and satsuki, followed by moss in the rainy season, autumn leaves of Enkianthus perulatus and maple leaves, and a snowy landscape in winter.  The garden was created by Nakane Kinsaku, and its sister garden nearby Gyokusuien was also created by Nakane.  Hisuien Jade Garden opened in 1978
    Hisuien-Jade-Garden -08.jpg
  • Fukuoka’s Ohori Japanese strolling garden was built in 1979 to mark the park’s 50th anniversary. The garden is made up of hills, trees groves and ponds. It was constructed with traditional gardening techniques although it is relatively new. A winding stream, a dry Zen garden, and a teahouse along with its adjacent garden are laid out around the highlights of the venue.  Ohori Garden is one of the finest examples of modern Japanese gardening to date.
    ohori-garden-6.jpg
  • Hisuien Jade Garden  - A 70 ton boulder of cobalt jade greets you as you enter the gate to this beautifully-landscaped Japanese garden. The site area is 17,000 square meters - the garden is composed of three waterfalls, a wandering pond with curving waterways with a pine forest in the background. It is an elegant strolling garden using megaliths and many large stones. Spring begins with red plums and white plums, followed by fresh greenery and satsuki, followed by moss in the rainy season, autumn leaves of Enkianthus perulatus and maple leaves, and a snowy landscape in winter.  The garden was created by Nakane Kinsaku, and its sister garden nearby Gyokusuien was also created by Nakane.  Hisuien Jade Garden opened in 1978
    Hisuien-Jade-Garden -06.jpg
  • Mogami Yoshiaki Historical Museum Garden is a museum dedicated to the Sengoku daimyo Mogami Yoshiaki and the Mogami family, located at the entrance to the Higashi-Otemon Gate of Kajo Park - the site of Yamagata Castle. As a frontal centerpiece there is a Japanese garden with a pond spring arranged in a strolling style, which is characterized by stonework.  The museum was opened in 1989.
    mogami-yoshiaki-museum-garden-2.jpg
  • Daizenji Japanese Garden - Daizenji Temple was built in Koshu by Buddhist priest Gyoki in 718.  It is sometimes called the “grape temple” as Gyoki was met by the presence of Yakushi Nyorai the Buddhist disciple of healing holding a cluster of grapes. As a result the temple has come to be called "the birthplace of the Koshu Grape.”  The temple even offers wine tasting, the only one in Japan to honor this custom, since it is at the heart of the Katsunuma wine district of Yamanashi.  Over the course of its long history, many of the temple structures have been destroyed by natural disaster - most of what remains is Yakushi Hall and the Sammon Gate.  Daizenji also has an impressive Japanese pond garden within its grounds, ideally viewed from the washitsu tatami room
    daizenji-garden-06.jpg
  • Miyaizumi Sake Brewery has been turned into the Aizu Sake Museum., behind its facility is a small Japanese pond garden that is not on the sake tour but visitors often visit it before or after sake tasting or on hte sake tour.
    miyaizumi-sake-garden-2.jpg
  • Mogami Yoshiaki Historical Museum Garden is a museum dedicated to the Sengoku daimyo Mogami Yoshiaki and the Mogami family, located at the entrance to the Higashi-Otemon Gate of Kajo Park - the site of Yamagata Castle. As a frontal centerpiece there is a Japanese garden with a pond spring arranged in a strolling style, which is characterized by stonework.  The museum was opened in 1989.
    mogami-yoshiaki-museum-garden-1.jpg
  • Myotsuji Garden - The foundation of Myotsu-ji is uncertain though temple records date its construction to 1374, and its foundation in the year 806. Two of the structures of the temple date to the Kamakura Period  - the main hall and the pagoda both of which are designated National Treasures. Myotsuji Temple is a Shingon Sect temple There are stunning Japanese gardens inside the temple grounds and on the approach to the temple. The natural scenery around the temple changes with the seasons, most dramatically in autumn.
    myotsugi-garden-1.jpg
  • Daichiji Garden - It is said that the beginning of the temple the area was formed by Gyoki.  The name of the temple is also derived from Shinji-no-Ike pond which moistened the surrounding paddy fields as irrigation water for more than 1,000 years.  The Horai Garden of Daichiji Shoin, a Zen temple. It is said that Kobori Enshu, who built Minakuchi Castle in the Edo period, created this garden as a landscape garden. The two-tiered large pruned bushes in front of the temple represents the waves of the sea, and the figure of a treasure ship floating on pure white sand. It is wonderful to symbolize the Seven Lucky Gods as if they were riding on the waves. In addition, the stonework of Mt. Horai seen from the front of the tea room leading to the temple is also impressive.
    daichiji-garden-8.jpg
  • Mio Shrine is a shrine in Takashima City and although its construction is unknown, it is an old shrine that has a record of existence from the year 765 in the Nara period.  There is a very unique three dimensional garden and double layer with two tiers, which occupies much of the domain, was completed in 1996.  It is called Mizuo Garden, though its designer is unclear.
    mio-shrine-garden-04.jpg
  • Daichiji Garden - It is said that the beginning of the temple the area was formed by Gyoki.  The name of the temple is also derived from Shinji-no-Ike pond which moistened the surrounding paddy fields as irrigation water for more than 1,000 years.  The Horai Garden of Daichiji Shoin, a Zen temple. It is said that Kobori Enshu, who built Minakuchi Castle in the Edo period, created this garden as a landscape garden. The two-tiered large pruned bushes in front of the temple represents the waves of the sea, and the figure of a treasure ship floating on pure white sand. It is wonderful to symbolize the Seven Lucky Gods as if they were riding on the waves. In addition, the stonework of Mt. Horai seen from the front of the tea room leading to the temple is also impressive.
    daichiji-garden-7.jpg
  • Ohori Pond Garden - Fukuoka’s Ohori Japanese strolling garden was built in 1979 to mark the park’s 50th anniversary. The garden is made up of hills, trees groves and ponds. It was constructed with traditional gardening techniques although it is relatively new. A winding stream, a dry Zen garden, and a teahouse along with its adjacent garden are laid out around the highlights of the venue.  Ohori Garden is one of the finest examples of modern Japanese gardening to date.
    ohori-garden-21.jpg
  • Turtle Island at Ohori Pond Garden - Fukuoka’s Ohori Japanese strolling garden was built in 1979 to mark the park’s 50th anniversary. The garden is made up of hills, trees groves and ponds. It was constructed with traditional gardening techniques although it is relatively new. A winding stream, a dry Zen garden, and a teahouse along with its adjacent garden are laid out around the highlights of the venue.  Ohori Garden is one of the finest examples of modern Japanese gardening to date.
    ohori-garden-23.jpg
  • Turtle Island at Ohori Pond Garden - Fukuoka’s Ohori Japanese strolling garden was built in 1979 to mark the park’s 50th anniversary. The garden is made up of hills, trees groves and ponds. It was constructed with traditional gardening techniques although it is relatively new. A winding stream, a dry Zen garden, and a teahouse along with its adjacent garden are laid out around the highlights of the venue.  Ohori Garden is one of the finest examples of modern Japanese gardening to date.
    ohori-garden-11.jpg
  • Mio Shrine is a shrine in Takashima City and although its construction is unknown, it is an old shrine that has a record of existence from the year 765 in the Nara period.  There is a very unique three dimensional garden and double layer with two tiers, which occupies much of the domain, was completed in 1996.  It is called Mizuo Garden, though its designer is unclear.
    mio-shrine-garden-09-2.jpg
  • Mio Shrine is a shrine in Takashima City and although its construction is unknown, it is an old shrine that has a record of existence from the year 765 in the Nara period.  There is a very unique three dimensional garden and double layer with two tiers, which occupies much of the domain, was completed in 1996.  It is called Mizuo Garden, though its designer is unclear.
    mio-shrine-garden-03.jpg
  • Mio Shrine is a shrine in Takashima City and although its construction is unknown, it is an old shrine that has a record of existence from the year 765 in the Nara period.  There is a very unique three dimensional garden and double layer with two tiers, which occupies much of the domain, was completed in 1996.  It is called Mizuo Garden, though its designer is unclear.
    mio-shrine-garden-08-2.jpg
  • Ohori Pond Garden - Fukuoka’s Ohori Japanese strolling garden was built in 1979 to mark the park’s 50th anniversary. The garden is made up of hills, trees groves and ponds. It was constructed with traditional gardening techniques although it is relatively new. A winding stream, a dry Zen garden, and a teahouse along with its adjacent garden are laid out around the highlights of the venue.  Ohori Garden is one of the finest examples of modern Japanese gardening to date.
    ohori-garden-20.jpg
  • Ohori Pond Garden - Fukuoka’s Ohori Japanese strolling garden was built in 1979 to mark the park’s 50th anniversary. The garden is made up of hills, trees groves and ponds. It was constructed with traditional gardening techniques although it is relatively new. A winding stream, a dry Zen garden, and a teahouse along with its adjacent garden are laid out around the highlights of the venue.  Ohori Garden is one of the finest examples of modern Japanese gardening to date.
    ohori-garden-19.jpg
  • Hakone Garden is the oldest Japanese garden in the Western Hemisphere. The garden is set in eighteen acres of in the hills of Saratoga overlooking Silicon Valley. Visitors to Hakone Garden can experience the calming effect of a Japanese garden in Northern California.
    hakone-garden-1.jpg
  • Zensuiji is a temple whose main hall was built in 1366 during the Nanbokucho period and is a national treasure. The Hyakuden-no-Ike Pond on the sleeve of the main hall is a pond strolling garden. The current appearance was recently renovated but the history of Ikezumi dates back to the beginning of the Heian period. It was founded in an ancient temple called at the beginning of the Nara period. At the beginning of the Heian period, Saicho discovered this "Hyakuden Pond" when he visited this area. Supposedly, Saicho found the golden Yakushi Buddha in the pond, which was originally created by the water flowing from the mountain, and realizes that the water in this pond is sacred water. After that, when he gave it to Emperor Kanmu and prayed for healing, he recovered in about a week, so the temple was given the name of Zensuiji which continues to this day - though not to be confused with Zentsuji in Ehime Prefecture the birthplace of Kobo Daishi, important in its own right.
    zensuiji-garden-1.jpg
  • Engetsukyo Bridge at Ritsurin - a landscape garden in Takamatsu built by the local feudal lord during the Edo Period and considered one of the most esquisite gardens in Japan,  Ritsurin features ponds, hills and pavilions set in the woods which acts as background and a textbook example of borrowed scenery.
    ritsurin-garden-16.jpg
  • Chogakuji Temple Pure Land ond Garden - Chogakuji Temple is said to have been founded around 824 by Kobo Daishi,.  In a rural area of Nara, the temple has two different Japanese gardens.  One is a small pond garden, surrounded by pine trees in a tsubo niwa or pocket garden style.  The Pure Land garden is rather austere, overlooking the temple itself.
    chogakuji-pond.garden-1.jpg
  • Hakone Garden is the oldest Japanese garden in the Western Hemisphere. The garden is set in eighteen acres of in the hills of Saratoga overlooking Silicon Valley. Visitors to Hakone Garden can experience the calming effect of a Japanese garden in Northern California.
    hakone-garden-5.jpg
  • At Ryotanji Temple, you can also enjoy two gardens, the South Garden which is an impressive dry zen garden called Fudaraku-no-Niwa made of 48 stones in white sand.  The east pond garden Ikezumi Garden of Mt. Penglai shows a pond with a hillside as backdrop.  Both gardens were created in the early Edo period. A Zen monk dormitory was once attached to Ryotanji Temple with a landscape garden study group. There is also a garden that students created as a practical training. Which is the Shoin North Open Garden.  Note that here is another temple in Shizuoka prefecture with the same name and its own fabulous garden.
    ryotanji-garden.jpg
  • Zensuiji is a temple whose main hall was built in 1366 during the Nanbokucho period and is a national treasure. The Hyakuden-no-Ike Pond on the sleeve of the main hall is a pond strolling garden. The current appearance was recently renovated but the history of Ikezumi dates back to the beginning of the Heian period. It was founded in an ancient temple called at the beginning of the Nara period. At the beginning of the Heian period, Saicho discovered this "Hyakuden Pond" when he visited this area. Supposedly, Saicho found the golden Yakushi Buddha in the pond, which was originally created by the water flowing from the mountain, and realizes that the water in this pond is sacred water. After that, when he gave it to Emperor Kanmu and prayed for healing, he recovered in about a week, so the temple was given the name of Zensuiji which continues to this day - though not to be confused with Zentsuji in Ehime Prefecture the birthplace of Kobo Daishi, important in its own right.
    zensuiji-garden-2.jpg
  • Shogunzuka Seiryudan Dainichi-do Garden - one of the very finest in Kyoto, sits on top of Mt Higashiyama and is well known for its viewing deck of the city below. The Seiryuden garden is a strolling garden but with many twists and turns, leading the visitor down mossy pathways, past a Zen dry garden, the distant view of Mt Nishiyama, and a stunning view of Kyoto underneath it all. This vast undertaking, back in the Muromachi period, it is clear that this was a monumental undertaking given the resources of the times. The dry karesansui garden, a masterpiece of its kind, was created by Nakane Kinsaku.
    Shogunzuka-Seiryudan-Garden-01.jpg
  • Saito Family Bettei Garden is a villa built in the Taisho era by Kijuro Saito, a businessman who was said to be one of the three major conglomerates in Niigata. The garden is a nationally designated scenic spot that was created by gardeners Ikujiro Matsumoto and Kamekichi Matsumoto.  The Saito family made a name for themselves as a wealthy merchants in Niigata since the Edo period, and in modern times made a fortune in the shipping industry and bank management. Kijuro Saito, the 4th generation, acquired this site, which was the site of the Hottaro and Shimaseikan restaurants with beautiful gardens built in the Meiji era, from 1916.  A mansion and a garden were built and used as a villa, with a guest house, and garden.  The garden, which occupies about 4,500 square meters, is composed of an artificial hill made by skillfully utilizing the slope of the sand dunes from the nearby Sea of Japan. 
    saitou-villa-garden-2.jpg
  • Makino Botanical Garden was created to honor the achivement of Dr Tomitaro Makino the father of plant taxonomy in Japan.  In addition to its vast gardens, it has also a center for education and research actvities, with particular focus on medicinal plants.  This Botanical Garden displays various wild plants of Kochi Prefecture from the Pacific basin to the Shikoku Mountains.  In the North Garden, Dr. Tomitaro Makino’s beloved cherries and azaleas bloom in Spring, covering the northern slope of the mountain. In Autumn, yellow Patrinia and Japanese clover flower prevail. The South Garden was formerly part of the Chikurinji Temple and was designed to complement existing pathways and temple features. Many other features are located in the South Garden as well, including the greenhouse and wild azaleas.
    makino-botanical-garden-4.jpg
  • Makino Botanical Garden was created to honor the achivement of Dr Tomitaro Makino the father of plant taxonomy in Japan.  In addition to its vast gardens, it has also a center for education and research actvities, with particular focus on medicinal plants.  This Botanical Garden displays various wild plants of Kochi Prefecture from the Pacific basin to the Shikoku Mountains.  In the North Garden, Dr. Tomitaro Makino’s beloved cherries and azaleas bloom in Spring, covering the northern slope of the mountain. In Autumn, yellow Patrinia and Japanese clover flower prevail. The South Garden was formerly part of the Chikurinji Temple and was designed to complement existing pathways and temple features. Many other features are located in the South Garden as well, including the greenhouse and wild azaleas.
    makino-botanical-garden-6.jpg
  • Kongorinji  Garden - These 500-year old gardens have been designated a Place of Scenic Beauty and it’s no wonder. Beautiful in any season.  The Ikezumi strolling garden at Kongorinji known as Myojuin though its creator is unknown, is especially popular during autumn.  This pond-viewing garden is intended to be viewed from the main hall, but these three combined gardens are connected as one, and the feeling of a strolling garden that goes around gardens of different times is now stronger because of it.  The colorful autumn leaves in deep red in late autumn are wonderful, it is the most spectacular garden in the three mountains of Koto.
    kongorinji-garden-8.jpg
  • Soanji Garden - The garden at Soanji is called "Hikone Shiramichi-no-Niwa or Hakuro-no-Niwa. At the back of the main hall you can see the dry landscape garden, the dry pond garden, and two gardens. Each of them expresses the teachings of the Jodo sect's "Nigabyakudo". Yoshinobu. The white gravel is made of Argentine stone, that is illuminated on the moonlit nights and giving it a white glow. This "white dew garden" was created in the style of Kobori Enshu though its creator is not known.  The stone lantern in front of the main hall was designed by Masataro Kawakatsu, a leading figure in stone statue art during the Showa era
    soanji-garden-4.jpg
  • Gokonomiya Shrine Garden - Kobori Enshu, a renowned tea master and garden designer, arrived at Fushimi Magistrates office, next to this shrine,. The shogun, impressed with his work, took on Enshu. After WWII, the stones were moved to Gokonomiua Shrine and KinsakunNakane recreated the garden faithful to Kobori Enshu style,  in the background, plants dominate and an artificial hill and dead waterfall are found on opposite sides of the surface, represented by Shirakawa sand. Otherwise, the shrine is known for its healing properties and serves as a focus point for the entire neighborhood.
    gokonomiya-shrine-garden-1.jpg
  • Chogakuji Temple Tsubo Niwa Garden - Chogakuji Temple is said to have been founded around 824 by Kobo Daishi,.  In a rural area of Nara, the temple has two different Japanese gardens.  One is a small pond garden, surrounded by pine trees in a tsubo niwa or pocket garden style.  The Pure Land garden is rather austere, overlooking the temple itself.
    chogakuji-pond.garden-4.jpg
  • Shofu-en has three famous gardens: Iwakura, Horai and Kyokusui. These modern Japanese gardens were designed by Mirei Shigemori during the Showa era. They are among the greatest of Japanese gardens designed after the Meiji era. Mirei designed them with a combination of rocks, and the opposite concepts of "stillness" and "movement" in harmony.
    matsuo-shrine-garden-1.jpg
  • Hinata-wada Riverside Garden - Ome City opened up this domain built by Tsukumo Teruyuki in the early Showa period as a riverside garden along the Tama River. Its tiny teahouse was built by local Ome craftsmen and designed by Kawarimaki Iriomoya.  Tsukumo had been involved in a member of the Japan House of Representatives during the Showa era, so many high-ranking government officials and famous people of the time have visited. One of the highlights of the teahouse is the delicate workmanship such as family crests and phoenix images.
    hinata-wada-garden-4.jpg
  • Shofu-en has three famous gardens: Iwakura, Horai and Kyokusui. These modern Japanese gardens were designed by Mirei Shigemori during the Showa era. They are among the greatest of Japanese gardens designed after the Meiji era. Mirei designed them with a combination of rocks, and the opposite concepts of "stillness" and "movement" in harmony.
    matsuo-shrine-garden-9.jpg
  • Hakusan Park Garden is a city park in Niigata City built by the Niigata Prefectural Ordinance at the beginning of the Meiji era, and was converted into a park by Daijo-kan Futatsu.  It was selected as a nationally designated scenic spot in 2018 and it is renowned for being one of the 100 Best Urban Parks in Japan.  The site of the current Hakusan Park is the precincts of Hakusan Shrine next door, which was originally built in the Heian period.  Yankikan Yushintei teahouse was relocated to Hakusan Park in the Heisei era, and is a nationally registered tangible cultural property as the Tsubamekan a former Saito family residence.
    Hakusan-Park-Garden -02.jpg
  • Shogunzuka Seiryudan Dainichi-do Garden - one of the very finest in Kyoto, sits on top of Mt Higashiyama and is well known for its viewing deck of the city below. The Seiryuden garden is a strolling garden but with many twists and turns, leading the visitor down mossy pathways, past a Zen dry garden, the distant view of Mt Nishiyama, and a stunning view of Kyoto underneath it all. This vast undertaking, back in the Muromachi period, it is clear that this was a monumental undertaking given the resources of the times. The dry karesansui garden, a masterpiece of its kind, was created by Nakane Kinsaku.
    Shogunzuka-Seiryudan-Garden-08.jpg
  • Saito Family Bettei Garden is a villa built in the Taisho era by Kijuro Saito, a businessman who was said to be one of the three major conglomerates in Niigata. The garden is a nationally designated scenic spot that was created by gardeners Ikujiro Matsumoto and Kamekichi Matsumoto.  The Saito family made a name for themselves as a wealthy merchants in Niigata since the Edo period, and in modern times made a fortune in the shipping industry and bank management. Kijuro Saito, the 4th generation, acquired this site, which was the site of the Hottaro and Shimaseikan restaurants with beautiful gardens built in the Meiji era, from 1916.  A mansion and a garden were built and used as a villa, with a guest house, and garden.  The garden, which occupies about 4,500 square meters, is composed of an artificial hill made by skillfully utilizing the slope of the sand dunes from the nearby Sea of Japan. 
    saitou-villa-garden-6.jpg
  • Honma Museum Garden and adjacent Seienkaku Villa and accompanying Kakubuen Gardens are an excellent spot. Kakubuen Gardens that lead you to the villa named Seienkaku. Take a stroll around the garden, and be sure to notice the circular rock, which when viewed through shows the Tohoku Region’s very own Mt. Fuji, Mt. Chokai. The garden and villa were originally constructed in 1813 as a holiday home for the head of the Honma family, a prominent merchant family in the area whose residence can be visited in a different part of the town. The traditional strolling garden is composed of a central pond and a winding network of trails that provide constantly changing, scenic views.
    honma-museum-garden-08.jpg
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