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  • Eikan-do Zenrin-ji is a major temple east of Kyoto. Eikan-do was founded in 853 at the beginning of the Heian period by Shinjo. The first building was a simple training hall until Shinjo obtained permission from the Emperor to build a temple. Later the abbot Eikan, became the main priest consequently Zenrin-ji expanded significantly under his rule. The temple consists in various buildings arranged around Hojo Pond. Two of the unique features that can be found here are the small pagoda Taho-to located in the hill above the main temple halls, and the wooden staircase that leads to it Garyuro.  Eikan-do is at its best in autumn, when the maple trees of its front garden are brightly coloured.
    eikando-2.jpg
  • Eikan-do Zenrin-ji is a major temple east of Kyoto. Eikan-do was founded in 853 at the beginning of the Heian period by Shinjo. The first building was a simple training hall until Shinjo obtained permission from the Emperor to build a temple. Later the abbot Eikan, became the main priest consequently Zenrin-ji expanded significantly under his rule. The temple consists in various buildings arranged around Hojo Pond. Two of the unique features that can be found here are the small pagoda Taho-to located in the hill above the main temple halls, and the wooden staircase that leads to it Garyuro.  Eikan-do is at its best in autumn, when the maple trees of its front garden are brightly coloured.
    eikando-12.jpg
  • Eikan-do Zenrin-ji is a major temple east of Kyoto. Eikan-do was founded in 853 at the beginning of the Heian period by Shinjo. The first building was a simple training hall until Shinjo obtained permission from the Emperor to build a temple. Later the abbot Eikan, became the main priest consequently Zenrin-ji expanded significantly under his rule. The temple consists in various buildings arranged around Hojo Pond. Two of the unique features that can be found here are the small pagoda Taho-to located in the hill above the main temple halls, and the wooden staircase that leads to it Garyuro.  Eikan-do is at its best in autumn, when the maple trees of its front garden are brightly coloured.
    eikando-9.jpg
  • Eikan-do Zenrin-ji is a major temple east of Kyoto. Eikan-do was founded in 853 at the beginning of the Heian period by Shinjo. The first building was a simple training hall until Shinjo obtained permission from the Emperor to build a temple. Later the abbot Eikan, became the main priest consequently Zenrin-ji expanded significantly under his rule. The temple consists in various buildings arranged around Hojo Pond. Two of the unique features that can be found here are the small pagoda Taho-to located in the hill above the main temple halls, and the wooden staircase that leads to it Garyuro.  Eikan-do is at its best in autumn, when the maple trees of its front garden are brightly coloured.
    eikando-1.jpg
  • Eikan-do Zenrin-ji is a major temple east of Kyoto. Eikan-do was founded in 853 at the beginning of the Heian period by Shinjo. The first building was a simple training hall until Shinjo obtained permission from the Emperor to build a temple. Later the abbot Eikan, became the main priest consequently Zenrin-ji expanded significantly under his rule. The temple consists in various buildings arranged around Hojo Pond. Two of the unique features that can be found here are the small pagoda Taho-to located in the hill above the main temple halls, and the wooden staircase that leads to it Garyuro.  Eikan-do is at its best in autumn, when the maple trees of its front garden are brightly coloured.
    eikando-8.jpg
  • Eikan-do Zenrin-ji is a major temple east of Kyoto. Eikan-do was founded in 853 at the beginning of the Heian period by Shinjo. The first building was a simple training hall until Shinjo obtained permission from the Emperor to build a temple. Later the abbot Eikan, became the main priest consequently Zenrin-ji expanded significantly under his rule. The temple consists in various buildings arranged around Hojo Pond. Two of the unique features that can be found here are the small pagoda Taho-to located in the hill above the main temple halls, and the wooden staircase that leads to it Garyuro.  Eikan-do is at its best in autumn, when the maple trees of its front garden are brightly coloured.
    eikando-11.jpg
  • Eikan-do Zenrin-ji is a major temple east of Kyoto. Eikan-do was founded in 853 at the beginning of the Heian period by Shinjo. The first building was a simple training hall until Shinjo obtained permission from the Emperor to build a temple. Later the abbot Eikan, became the main priest consequently Zenrin-ji expanded significantly under his rule. The temple consists in various buildings arranged around Hojo Pond. Two of the unique features that can be found here are the small pagoda Taho-to located in the hill above the main temple halls, and the wooden staircase that leads to it Garyuro.  Eikan-do is at its best in autumn, when the maple trees of its front garden are brightly coloured.
    eikando-10.jpg
  • Eikan-do Zenrin-ji is a major temple east of Kyoto. Eikan-do was founded in 853 at the beginning of the Heian period by Shinjo. The first building was a simple training hall until Shinjo obtained permission from the Emperor to build a temple. Later the abbot Eikan, became the main priest consequently Zenrin-ji expanded significantly under his rule. The temple consists in various buildings arranged around Hojo Pond. Two of the unique features that can be found here are the small pagoda Taho-to located in the hill above the main temple halls, and the wooden staircase that leads to it Garyuro.  Eikan-do is at its best in autumn, when the maple trees of its front garden are brightly coloured.
    eikando-7.jpg
  • Eikan-do Zenrin-ji is a major temple east of Kyoto. Eikan-do was founded in 853 at the beginning of the Heian period by Shinjo. The first building was a simple training hall until Shinjo obtained permission from the Emperor to build a temple. Later the abbot Eikan, became the main priest consequently Zenrin-ji expanded significantly under his rule. The temple consists in various buildings arranged around Hojo Pond. Two of the unique features that can be found here are the small pagoda Taho-to located in the hill above the main temple halls, and the wooden staircase that leads to it Garyuro.  Eikan-do is at its best in autumn, when the maple trees of its front garden are brightly coloured.
    eikando-6.jpg
  • Eikan-do Zenrin-ji is a major temple east of Kyoto. Eikan-do was founded in 853 at the beginning of the Heian period by Shinjo. The first building was a simple training hall until Shinjo obtained permission from the Emperor to build a temple. Later the abbot Eikan, became the main priest consequently Zenrin-ji expanded significantly under his rule. The temple consists in various buildings arranged around Hojo Pond. Two of the unique features that can be found here are the small pagoda Taho-to located in the hill above the main temple halls, and the wooden staircase that leads to it Garyuro.  Eikan-do is at its best in autumn, when the maple trees of its front garden are brightly coloured.
    eikando-4.jpg
  • Eikan-do Zenrin-ji is a major temple east of Kyoto. Eikan-do was founded in 853 at the beginning of the Heian period by Shinjo. The first building was a simple training hall until Shinjo obtained permission from the Emperor to build a temple. Later the abbot Eikan, became the main priest consequently Zenrin-ji expanded significantly under his rule. The temple consists in various buildings arranged around Hojo Pond. Two of the unique features that can be found here are the small pagoda Taho-to located in the hill above the main temple halls, and the wooden staircase that leads to it Garyuro.  Eikan-do is at its best in autumn, when the maple trees of its front garden are brightly coloured.
    eikando-3.jpg
  • Eikan-do Zenrin-ji is a major temple east of Kyoto. Eikan-do was founded in 853 at the beginning of the Heian period by Shinjo. The first building was a simple training hall until Shinjo obtained permission from the Emperor to build a temple. Later the abbot Eikan, became the main priest consequently Zenrin-ji expanded significantly under his rule. The temple consists in various buildings arranged around Hojo Pond. Two of the unique features that can be found here are the small pagoda Taho-to located in the hill above the main temple halls, and the wooden staircase that leads to it Garyuro.  Eikan-do is at its best in autumn, when the maple trees of its front garden are brightly coloured.
    eikando-5.jpg
  • Dogakuji Pond Garden at Dogakuji Bangai Temple,  The temple's official name is Tomei-zan and it is ranked second out of the 20 Fudasho Bangai - temples not included in the official list of the temples making up the Shikoku 88-temple Pilgrimage. The name Dogaku-ji “Child's Learning Temple” relates to the fact that Kobo Daishi studied calligraphy and other academic disciplines as child; praying at the temple was believed to bring academic success. Within the temple grounds there is a sacred spring which is reputed to have sprung forth from the ground when Kobo Daishi prayed for water to wash his ink-slab with. Near the head priest's quarters there is a shoin-style Japanese garden which is believed to have been created in the Muromachi period
    Dogakuji-Bangai-2.jpg
  • Dogakuji Pond Garden at Dogakuji Bangai Temple,  The temple's official name is Tomei-zan and it is ranked second out of the 20 Fudasho Bangai - temples not included in the official list of the temples making up the Shikoku 88-temple Pilgrimage. The name Dogaku-ji “Child's Learning Temple” relates to the fact that Kobo Daishi studied calligraphy and other academic disciplines as child; praying at the temple was believed to bring academic success. Within the temple grounds there is a sacred spring which is reputed to have sprung forth from the ground when Kobo Daishi prayed for water to wash his ink-slab with. Near the head priest's quarters there is a shoin-style Japanese garden which is believed to have been created in the Muromachi period
    Dogakuji-Bangai-1.jpg
  • Kanchi-in at Toji - There are five stones in the Godai-no-niwa Garden accessible from the reception room that represente Godaikokuzo Bodhisattva, expressing the return of Kobo Daishi from China. In addition, there is a tea ceremony chamber called the Fusenkan north of the main building, a shishi odoshi deer scare, stone lanterns and seasonal flowers create a quiet, relaxed atmosphere. Its Kyakuden guest hall is a shoin-zukuri style building beside the main hall looks out over the stone garden and a tea house classified as a National Treasure. Kanchi-in famous for its exquisite gardens as well as an ink painting by the swordsman Miyamoto Musashi.
    Kanchi-in-Toji-2.jpg
  • Oyakuen Garden was built by the feudal lords of Aizu -  these were medicinal gardens for Aizu domain. Its name is derived from the circuit style garden that incorporates the pond shaped like the Chinese character for heart or kokoro in its design, and the adjacent medicinal garden grows a variety of medicinal herbs.. Oyakuen is a daimyo garden built for  the lord of the Aizu domain during the Edo period.  The garden was designed by Meguro Josei, a disciple of Kobori Enshu.  It is now officially called Aizu Matsudaira Garden though locals and maps still call it Oyakuen.  The current daimyo garden was created in 1696 and its scale was expanded from the original Shin-ji pond by Meguro Jyosei, and became this tsukiyama-izumi style garden, which was the standard for daimyo gardens in the Edo period. Oyakuen has been listed as a nationally designated scenic spot.
    oyakuen-21.jpg
  • Unrei-an is a Japanese garden found within the compound of Aizu Homare Shuzo Sake distillery.  The garden was created during the Showa period.  This garden was started by the founder Kosaku Karahashi, and the name Unrei-an comes from the view of the summit of Mt. Bandai from the clouds as a borrowed landscape.  Visitors may freely stroll around the garden, and also sample more than 10 types of sake at the adjacent sake brewing facility. It was named Unrei-an by Dr. Tetsuo Watanuki because you can see the summit of Mt. Bandai in the background of the garden . It is built using the vast virgin forest so there are plentiful zelkova, pine, maple, cherry trees in each season. The sake here has won many awards and is given as gifts to VIPs visiting Japan.
    homare-sake-garden-13.jpg
  • Unrei-an is a Japanese garden found within the compound of Aizu Homare Shuzo Sake distillery.  The garden was created during the Showa period.  This garden was started by the founder Kosaku Karahashi, and the name Unrei-an comes from the view of the summit of Mt. Bandai from the clouds as a borrowed landscape.  Visitors may freely stroll around the garden, and also sample more than 10 types of sake at the adjacent sake brewing facility. It was named Unrei-an by Dr. Tetsuo Watanuki because you can see the summit of Mt. Bandai in the background of the garden . It is built using the vast virgin forest so there are plentiful zelkova, pine, maple, cherry trees in each season. The sake here has won many awards and is given as gifts to VIPs visiting Japan.
    homare-sake-garden-07.jpg
  • 21st Century Memorial Park Hayama no Mori is adjacent to Hayama Park selected as one of the 100 Best Historical Parks in Japan.  There is a Japanese garden area, a tea room Mugen-an, and a Sukiya-style architecture Foot Sanso.  In the beautiful Japanese garden where the seasons change, there is a tea ceremony room, a tea ceremony room, and hermitage that can be used for tea ceremony and flower arrangement. It is a sukiya-zukuri building that was set up for the purpose of improving technology while inheriting the traditions and culture of Japan
    hayama-no-mori-19.jpg
  • Oyakuen Garden was built by the feudal lords of Aizu -  these were medicinal gardens for Aizu domain. Its name is derived from the circuit style garden that incorporates the pond shaped like the Chinese character for heart or kokoro in its design, and the adjacent medicinal garden grows a variety of medicinal herbs.. Oyakuen is a daimyo garden built for  the lord of the Aizu domain during the Edo period.  The garden was designed by Meguro Josei, a disciple of Kobori Enshu.  It is now officially called Aizu Matsudaira Garden though locals and maps still call it Oyakuen.  The current daimyo garden was created in 1696 and its scale was expanded from the original Shin-ji pond by Meguro Jyosei, and became this tsukiyama-izumi style garden, which was the standard for daimyo gardens in the Edo period. Oyakuen has been listed as a nationally designated scenic spot.
    oyakuen-10.jpg
  • Ouchi-juku prospered as a post town on an important road connecting Aizu Wakamatsu City and Nikko during the Edo period. Even today, private homes with thatched roofs proliferate,; shopkeepers typically live in their stores. In 1981, Ouchi Juku was designated as a nationally important traditional buildings preservation district. In order to pass on the landscape to future children, a resident charter was created on the three principles of "do not sell, do not lend, do not destroy" so as to preserve the landscape with traditional thatch roofing. Traditional thatched roofs are maintained by the villagers by means of their own conservation activities - the villagers work together centered on craftsmen called Kayate who has specialized skills. Thatched roof is made up of Japanese pampas grass - cool in the summer and warm in the winter, but it is very vulnerable to fire and spreads quickly once it burns. Therefore, in the village of Ouchi-juku, water is discharged by giant sprays every year on September 1.
    ouchi-juku-5.jpg
  • Kumakami-en at Nyohoji Temple - The garden is a fairly modern composition made up of sculpted shrubbery around a small pond.   There is also a dry zen garden further within the compound though the pond shrub garden is its main feature  ocated in front of the Niomon and Sanmon gates.  This is a pond-style garden with a view of the temple. Nyoho-ji is a historical temple that is said to have been built in 807, when the Heian period has just begun.  Nyohoji is part of the Shingon Buddhist sect, and performs ceremonies and memorial services for the community, as well as education.
    nyohoji-3.jpg
  • Aizu Samurai Residence and Garden is a historical building that has preserved the domain of Nakahata Jinya as an important cultural property designated by Fukushima Prefecture, including the restoration of the residence of Saigo Tanomo the chief retainer of the Aizu clan. This is more of an historical theme park, than a garden, but it does contain a history museum, a hands-on workshop and a restaurant.  The old mansion and the tea room Rinnan-an Rinkaku - a tea room created by Sen no Rikyu's son, Shoan are restored buildings, as well as the thatched-roofed former Nakahata Jinya that was relocated to this area in 1837.
    aizu-bukeyashiki-1.jpg
  • Tenjuen Chinese Garden is the result of a collaboration between Kinsaku Nakane and Togo Murano a representative architect of Showa Japan. It is a garden where both masters collaborated.  The garden was created to show gratitude to the Chinese over the grace of Japanese orphans left behind on the continent after World War II.  designed and constructed by the Beijing Municipal Forestry Bureau, where garden stones and building materials are also brought from China composed of eight scenic areas reminiscent of the gate of a mansion, following the former court gardens of China  After the Japanese garden Suiishien was created in Beijing in 1984, this garden was completed as a sister Chinese garden on the Japanese side. Therefore, about half of the entire garden follows a Chinese style. The Japanese pond garden, adjacent, is composed of an artificial hill plus a pond strolling garden. Traditional Japanese garden elements include a powerful three-tiered waterfall in the southeastern part of the garden, a tortoise island floating in a pond, and numerous pine trees.
    tenjuan-10.jpg
  • Rinkokaku Garden is composed of has a vast, flowing garden in front of the main building at Rinkokaku -  this Ikezumi strolling Japanese garden integrated with Rinkokaku and was rebuilt in 2008 and annexed to Maebashi Park. Sachinoike Pond, the centerpiece of this garden is shaped in the form of Gunma prefecture. Rinkokaku itself is a vast Japanese-style wooden building, and an important cultural property designated by the country, consisting of a main building, annex and a tea room.  The main building was built as a guest house in 1897 with the cooperation of the Gunma Prefectural Ordinance, Motohiko Katori and volunteers in the city. The traditional teahouse was also completed in 1897 by Genbei Imai, a palace carpenter in Kyoto.  The annex is a Shoin-style building built as a guesthouse.
    Rinkokaku-25.jpg
  • Northern Culture Museum Niitsu Branch is a museum of wealthy farmers representing Niigata. There are more than 20 registered tangible cultural property buildings left by the Ito family, a wealthy farmer in the area, on a large site.  The main building has a wonderful pond-viewing garden which is the showcase of the facility.  The garden was created by Tatami Tanaka - the gardener who restored Ginkakuji in Kyoto and also restored the nationally designated scenic spot Saito Family Bettei Garden in Niigata City.  The garden was created in the early Showa period.  The Northern Culture Museum also has the Niigata Annex, which is a registered tangible cultural property in Niigata City although it must be said that the Niitsu branch of the museum garden is far superior in scope and quality.
    northern-culture-niitsu-08.jpg
  • Northern Culture Museum Niitsu Branch is a museum of wealthy farmers representing Niigata. There are more than 20 registered tangible cultural property buildings left by the Ito family, a wealthy farmer in the area, on a large site.  The main building has a wonderful pond-viewing garden which is the showcase of the facility.  The garden was created by Tatami Tanaka - the gardener who restored Ginkakuji in Kyoto and also restored the nationally designated scenic spot Saito Family Bettei Garden in Niigata City.  The garden was created in the early Showa period.  The Northern Culture Museum also has the Niigata Annex, which is a registered tangible cultural property in Niigata City although it must be said that the Niitsu branch of the museum garden is far superior in scope and quality.
    northern-culture-niitsu-05.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-05.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-2.jpg
  • Koshoji Temple Garden - Koshoji was the first Zen Buddhist temple of the Soto sect in Japan, which was opened by Dogen Zen Master during the Kamakura period. The official name is "Buddha Tokuyama Kannon Doriin Koshohorinzenji". The garden and the approach Kotozaka are designated scenic spots by Kyoto Prefecture.  In the front garden, the 13-storied pagoda, which was once placed in the nearby Uji River, was moved to the temple. This was built in the Kamakura period and is said to be the largest and oldest existing stone pagoda in Japan. The Shoin Garden is located back of the temple and is a pond-viewing garden that makes use of the background slope, some of the stonework and also the moss composition may be of a more modern composition. 
    Koshoji-16.jpg
  • Shokokuji Temple Garden - Shokoku-ji occupies a vast area of northern Kyoto with many sub-temples under its dominion.  The main hall’s gardens  on the southern side, a large austere Omotesando Garden is composed only of white sand karesansui in the karesansui style, that does not prepare the visitor for the fabulous Urakata moss garden on the north side, that makes use of moss and a withered stream that brings depth to the whole and contrasts between dry stones and wet moss. 
    Shokokuji-Temple-Garden-1.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-07.jpg
  • Ryosukuin Garden - Ryosukuin is a part of the vast Kenninji Temple Complex.  Here, a few gardens have been created since the Momoyama period% The front Hojo garden is composed of moss, which the temple calls its Momoyama Garden. However, the main garden is the Shoin Front Garden which is an ikezumi strolling garden, which has been designated as a Kyoto Prefecture Scenic Spot. Ryosokuin was founded in the Muromachi period by Zen master Tatsuyama Tokumi.
    Ryosukuin-5.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-10.jpg
  • Kogenji Temple Garden - known as Kosho-no-Niwa makes use of Arashiyama as borrowed scenery. The dry karesansui garden in front of the main hall was created by Sone Zouen , has the nickname of Tiger Garden because of a poem written about it: “the cloud occurs, and the tiger is struck by the wind”, The composition of the dry garden in harmony with maple trees and cherry trees makes this one of the best in Arashiyama. 
    Kogenji-2.jpg
  • The official name is "Manmatsuyama Ryotanji Zen Temple has a long history, and it is said that Gyoki opened its predecessor, Jizo-ji, in 733 of the Nara period . The name Ryotanji is named after Naomori Ii .  the dry garden in front of the main hall Mt. Potalaka Garden is a relatively new garden created in the Heisei era. The front garden, because of its white sand shape it is popularly known locally as the Lake Hamana Garden.  The main pond-viewing garden on the north side of the main hall is a nationally designated scenic garden created by Kobori Enshu. According to the temple, it was built around 1630. The long horizontal pond is a Shin-ji pond, and the waterfall stone group is represented by a stone group that uses many azaleas, azaleas, and local chert stones in the artificial hill. 
    ryotanji-3.jpg
  • The official name is "Manmatsuyama Ryotanji Zen Temple has a long history, and it is said that Gyoki opened its predecessor, Jizo-ji, in 733 of the Nara period . The name Ryotanji is named after Naomori Ii .  the dry garden in front of the main hall Mt. Potalaka Garden is a relatively new garden created in the Heisei era. The front garden, because of its white sand shape it is popularly known locally as the Lake Hamana Garden.  The main pond-viewing garden on the north side of the main hall is a nationally designated scenic garden created by Kobori Enshu. According to the temple, it was built around 1630. The long horizontal pond is a Shin-ji pond, and the waterfall stone group is represented by a stone group that uses many azaleas, azaleas, and local chert stones in the artificial hill. 
    ryotan-ji-13.jpg
  • The official name is "Manmatsuyama Ryotanji Zen Temple has a long history, and it is said that Gyoki opened its predecessor, Jizo-ji, in 733 of the Nara period . The name Ryotanji is named after Naomori Ii .  the dry garden in front of the main hall Mt. Potalaka Garden is a relatively new garden created in the Heisei era. The front garden, because of its white sand shape it is popularly known locally as the Lake Hamana Garden.  The main pond-viewing garden on the north side of the main hall is a nationally designated scenic garden created by Kobori Enshu. According to the temple, it was built around 1630. The long horizontal pond is a Shin-ji pond, and the waterfall stone group is represented by a stone group that uses many azaleas, azaleas, and local chert stones in the artificial hill. 
    ryotan-ji-07.jpg
  • The official name is "Manmatsuyama Ryotanji Zen Temple has a long history, and it is said that Gyoki opened its predecessor, Jizo-ji, in 733 of the Nara period . The name Ryotanji is named after Naomori Ii .  the dry garden in front of the main hall Mt. Potalaka Garden is a relatively new garden created in the Heisei era. The front garden, because of its white sand shape it is popularly known locally as the Lake Hamana Garden.  The main pond-viewing garden on the north side of the main hall is a nationally designated scenic garden created by Kobori Enshu. According to the temple, it was built around 1630. The long horizontal pond is a Shin-ji pond, and the waterfall stone group is represented by a stone group that uses many azaleas, azaleas, and local chert stones in the artificial hill. 
    ryotan-ji-01.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-2.jpg
  • Thatched roof at Honkoji - an old temple built in the Nanbokucho period,  The Lotus Sutra, which is owned by Honkoji Temple and was written in the latter half of the Heian period, is also a national important cultural property. The pond of the Horai style pond, which faces the Okushoin and Daishoin, which is said to be the garden of Kobori Enshu recorded during the Warring States period.
    honko-ji-6.jpg
  • Fukaji Temple was established in 701 A.D. around 1,300 years ago and is thus quiet ancient.  It was set up the legendary priest Gyouki who created a eleven faced Kannon statue here.  Its main garden was designed in the Edo Period. Fuka-ji temple has a secondary though small pond garden behind its main garden with a tiny island in the middle.  The combination of the slope mountain and the water lines projects an elegant natural landscape. The dry waterfall structure is highly evaluated and is designated as a piece of the Shinshiro-city cultural property.
    fuka-ji-05.jpg
  • Fukaji Temple was established in 701 A.D. around 1,300 years ago and is thus quiet ancient.  It was set up the legendary priest Gyouki who created a eleven faced Kannon statue here.  Its main garden was designed in the Edo Period. Fuka-ji temple has a secondary though small pond garden behind its main garden with a tiny island in the middle.  The combination of the slope mountain and the water lines projects an elegant natural landscape. The dry waterfall structure is highly evaluated and is designated as a piece of the Shinshiro-city cultural property.
    fuka-ji-06.jpg
  • Arai Library Garden is a garden created by Kinsaku Nakane , a local builder from the western part of Shizuoka Prefecture, in a library in Kosai City, Shizuoka Prefecture. It is said that there are several gardens in Arai-cho, including the world-famous "Adachi Museum of Art Garden" , which was also created by Kinsaku Nakane, a leading modern landscaping artist who has worked on Japanese gardens overseas. The library's Ikezumi strolling garden is located on the outer circumference of the building, so you anyone can freely visit it.
    arai-library-garden-03.jpg
  • Daikoji is temple No. 67 on the Shikoku Pilgrimage.  The temple is located in the countryside on the outskirts of Kannonji. The huge camphor tree in the compound is said to have been planted by Kukai. The statue is of Tendai Daishi, the Chinese founder of T’ien-t’ai Buddhism. The temple has Daishido Halls for both the Shingon and Tendai sects. Like many other temples, this temple was burned by the warriors of Chosokabe Motochika in the 16th century.  In 792 it was visited by Daishi on a preaching tour, then in 822 it was restored with an imperial edict by Emperor Saga, then later moved to a small hill surrounded by forest where it currently stands. At the time, there were 24 dwellings of the Shingon Sect and 12 of the Tendai Sect within the same compound, and while having such an unusual history of both sects studying within the same precincts, it is currently part of the Shingon Zentsuji Sect.
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  • Unpenji is Temple No. 66 on the Shikoku Pilgrimage. Although counted as being in Kagawa Prefecture, it’s actually just across the prefectural border in Tokushima. Located at an elevation of 911 metres, it is the highest temple on the pilgrimage and it’s one the nansho or ‘difficult places’ that test the will of pilgrims although the cable car that starts in Kagawa makes it much easier to get up to the top now.  In the temple grounds are masses of stone rakan statues of followers of the Buddha. There are also other statues of Kannon and Fudo, which are both National Treasures.  The temple was founded by Kukai in his youth and was dedicated by Emperor Kameyama who planted a gingko tree in the grounds.  At one time in its heyday the temple had seven shrines, twelve affiliated halls, and eight branch temples.
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  • Unpenji - Temple 66 on the Shikoku Pilgrimage-   Although Unpenji is much closer to the population centers of Ehime and Kagawa prefectures, but it is officially a part of Tokushima prefecture.  Unpenji temple is a Sekisho temple, a sort of spiritual checkpoint to ensure sincerity, and also a difficult one to reach.  What is the most impressive at Unpenji temple is the expressive and lifelike 500 Arhats - saints who gathered for the Buddhist Councils when the Buddha reached Nirvana. The expression of each 500 Arhati is different from each other. Some look thoughtful, some fierce, and a few with smiles. At 911 meters above the sea level, Unpenji is at the border between Tokushima and Kagawa Prefectures. Standing on the mountain, visitors can enjoy the panoramic view of the Sanuki plain, the Inland Sea and the mountains of Tokushima.
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  • Sankaku-ji is temple No. 65 on the Shikoku Pilgrimage, located at an elevation of 450 m near the top of a mountain. Its name, the 'triangular temple' refers to a triangular altar used by Kobo Daishi at the temple to exorcise a ghost. The triangle has been used as a holy symbol in many faith systems, including mythologies in Christian religions as well. This temple has its name from the a triangular altar, as well as a triangular mini lake on the premises as well.The temple is dedicated to easy childbirth. The temple features some spectacular wooden carving.  Sankaku-ji is devoted to Juichimen Kannon, the boddhisattva of compassion.
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  • Senyuji Temple is No. 58 on the Shikoku pilgrimage and one of the more impressively located pilgrimage temples standing on a hillside 1,300 feet above sea level which means that pilgrims who walk to it have quite a climb. The guardian statues in the gateway below the temple are impressive. Behind the daishi-do is a flight of concrete steps which leads up into the hill behind the temple. This path passes through pleasant woods of evergreen and trees including sasa bamboo. It’s lined at intervals with attractive Buddhist statues. The path leads to a hilltop with panoramic views of Imabari, the Shimanami-Kaido suspension bridge and the Seto Inland Sea. For this walk, sensible shoes are a must.  Sadly In 1947, all of the buildings built by Kobo Daishi between 810-824 burned down in a forest fire. They were rebuilt from 1953.  Senyu-ji is one of six pilgrimage temples located relatively close together in Imabari.
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  • Belltower and Gate at Enmyoji - temple No. 53 on the Shikoku pilgrimage. The temple has tile sculptures on the roofs of its buildings with Wheel of Dharma features prominently as a motif.  The first point of interest is the Nio guardians in the gatehouse with fierce eyes made of translucent yellow material that rather make them look like aliens.  Near the graves, there is a vaguely crucifix stone, carved with a figure who is said to be Mary, mother of Jesus. Christianity was forbidden in Japan from the 1600s, but there were many hidden Christians in Shikoku. The location of the temple has changed over the centuries. Between 668 and 749, Gyoki visited the area and built a temple around it. The temple he built was close to the sea where the temple's Okunoin is today. He called the temple Enmyo-ji.  Kukai designated the temple as number fifty-three. The local Kono clan, whose ancestors were pirates, were benefactors of the temple. The temple burned down on several occasions, and the site was often in ruins until the Suga, a powerful local family moved the temple to its current site in the early 1600s.
    temple-53-enmyoji-10.jpg
  • Belltower and Gate at Enmyoji - temple No. 53 on the Shikoku pilgrimage. The temple has tile sculptures on the roofs of its buildings with Wheel of Dharma features prominently as a motif.  The first point of interest is the Nio guardians in the gatehouse with fierce eyes made of translucent yellow material that rather make them look like aliens.  Near the graves, there is a vaguely crucifix stone, carved with a figure who is said to be Mary, mother of Jesus. Christianity was forbidden in Japan from the 1600s, but there were many hidden Christians in Shikoku. The location of the temple has changed over the centuries. Between 668 and 749, Gyoki visited the area and built a temple around it. The temple he built was close to the sea where the temple's Okunoin is today. He called the temple Enmyo-ji.  Kukai designated the temple as number fifty-three. The local Kono clan, whose ancestors were pirates, were benefactors of the temple. The temple burned down on several occasions, and the site was often in ruins until the Suga, a powerful local family moved the temple to its current site in the early 1600s.
    temple-53-enmyoji-1.jpg
  • Jizo at Taisanji - Temple No. 52 of the Shikoku 88 temple pilgrimage. The main hall which was rebuilt in 1305,has been designated as a National Treasure, while the Niomon Gate is an important national cultural property.  Taisanji has wonderful views of the Shikoku Mountains.  The main bhall is one of the more spectacular on the pilgrimage and said to have been built in one day by a merchant who was miraculously delivered from a storm while sailing with a cargo on the Inland Sea.  An unforgettable feature of Taisan-ji is the bell tower with its paintings of heaven and shocking picture of hell.
    temple-52-taisanji-3.jpg
  • Taisanji is Temple No. 52 of the Shikoku 88 temple pilgrimage. The main hall which was rebuilt in 1305,has been designated as a National Treasure, while the Niomon Gate is an important national cultural property.  Taisanji has wonderful views of the Shikoku Mountains.  The main bhall is one of the more spectacular on the pilgrimage and said to have been built in one day by a merchant who was miraculously delivered from a storm while sailing with a cargo on the Inland Sea.  An unforgettable feature of Taisan-ji is the bell tower with its paintings of heaven and shocking picture of hell.
    temple-52-taisanji-1.jpg
  • Pond Garden and Jizo at Ryukoji - Temple 41 on the Shikoku Pilgrimage and is located on a steep hillside with a fine view down a pastoral valley. Kukai is said to have founded it in 807.  The temple, which is associated both with dragons and rice which are celebrated in Japan’s native religion, also includes an attractive Shinto shrine in its precincts.  Ryuko-ji stands on a hillside up a steep flight of stone steps in a valley. The real interest at Ryuko-ji lies beyond the unremarkable temple buildings further up the hill where the shrines are. At the top of the stairs is a shrine to the Inari or fox deity, whose shrines are typically red. Its official name is Banfudasho Inariyama Gokokuin Ryuko.
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  • Ishite-ji Gate - Ishiteji is Temple 51 on the Shikoku Pilgrimage is one of the oldest and most beloved of all the 88 temples.  is considered to be one of the most spectacular of all the 88 temples along the trail. The sprawling Ishite-ji temple compound is composed of several halls, a three-storied pagoda and a unique inner temple connected to the main grounds via a cave. The dimly lit cave is remarkable in and of itself though dark and spooky. Ishiteji is known for its Niomon Gate, a designated national treasure.  All of these structures exhibit typical architectural style of the Kamakura Era.
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  • Shoruji Temple Gate - temple No. 36 on the Shikoku Pilgrimage, located on a peninsula jutting into the Pacific Ocean. Pilgrims used to have to reach the temple by ferry, but in 1975 a bridge was built. The deity of the temple is is venerated as the guardian of fishermen. Shoryuji is known as the “Green Dragon Temple”. The environment is fantastically beautiful with bamboo forests and stairs dotted with statues and path markers. Shouryuuji is truly a highlight for any pilgrim. This temple houses the fierce “Dragon Fudou”.
    temple-36-shoryuji-9.jpg
  • Shoruji is temple No. 36 on the Shikoku Pilgrimage, located on a peninsula jutting into the Pacific Ocean. Pilgrims used to have to reach the temple by ferry, but in 1975 a bridge was built. The deity of the temple is is venerated as the guardian of fishermen. Shoryuji is known as the “Green Dragon Temple”. The environment is fantastically beautiful with bamboo forests and stairs dotted with statues and path markers. Shouryuuji is truly a highlight for any pilgrim. This temple houses the fierce “Dragon Fudou”.
    temple-36-shoryuji-4.jpg
  • Tosa Kokubunji - Temple 29 on the Shikoku Pilgrimage  - Tosa Kokubunji temple's history goes back more than 1200 years. The temple was constructed under the direction of Gyoki in the year 741 set in lush yet silent woods. The temple was once called Konkomyo Tennou Gokokunotera as it served as a place of worship for peace and tranquility, good harvests and the well being of all. Kokubunji Temple was later revived by Koubo Daishi as a temple of the Shingon Buddhist sect.  In 1922 a historical mound was discovered, which led to the entire temple grounds being designated as a National Cultural Heritage site. Excavation surveys held within the temple grounds in 1977 led to the discovery of the remains of dwellings dating back to the Yayoi period. Various emperors have used the temple as a place of rest.
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  • Dainichiji is the 28th temple on the Shikoku pilgrimage - the walk from the previous temple, Konomineji is about 38 kilometers, mostly along the coast, a full days walk and then some. Dainichiji is also the name of two other temples on the pilgrimage, the Temple Number 4 and Temple Number 13 in Tokushima Prefecture. According to legend Gyoki founded Dainichiji in the 8th century. He is credited with carving the statue of Dainichi which is a secret Buddha and is therefore not shown to the public. In the early 9th century Kobo Daishi stayed nearby and carved a statue of Yakushi Nyorai, the Medicine Buddha.  According to the legend he only used his fingernails to sculpt it out of a camphor tree. The temple has a reputation for healing head and upper body ailments and so is visited by those with such ailments.
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  • Vertical Garden at Konomineji - Temple 27 Konomineji is situated a long days walk - about 28 kilometers - from the previous temple, Kongochoji.  Konomineji is situated at 424 meters above sea level on the upper slope of Konomine Peak.  A section of the footpath leading to it is very steep, so the temple is called a Nansho Temple, meaning that it is hard to reach. It is one of the most difficult climbs in the entire pilgrimage, the path leading to the temple continues for more than a kilometre at a slope of 45 degrees. It is also classed as a sekisho, a kind of "spiritual checkpoint" where your motives are examined and if found wanting pilgrims would be unable to carry on with the pilgrimage. Konomineji was founded in the early 8th century by Gyoki who is credited with founding quite a few of the temples on the Shikoku Pilgrimage, about a century later Kobo Daishi visited and expanded the temple.  On the temple’s slopes is a beautifully sculpted vertical garden.
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  • Tennoji is the 79th sacred spot on the Shikoku Henro pilgrimage, located in the foothills of Mt. Kana.  This temple does not have a gate, which is typical for temples, but rather a vermillion gate with tile roofing similar to that found at Shinto shrines, called miwa torii. Pass through this miwa torii and continue along the promenade to find Shiraminegu Shrine, which was built to appease the spirit of Emperor Sutoku.  In Japan it is not unusual to find Shinto shrines embedded within Buddhist temple compounds, or vice-versa.
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  • Tatsueji Temple Bell- Tatsue-ji is the first "Sekisho" temple, there being one in each of the four prefectures of Shikoku. Sekisho were the "barriers" or control points on highways in Japan from ancient times up until the late 19th century. Government officials would check the papers and passes of people traveling to make sure they had permission. Sekisho temples are a kind of spiritual checkpoint with the idea being that if you do not have the correct spiritual and mental attitude for the pilgrimage you should go back to the beginning and start again. There are even stories of people feeling  unable to enter the grounds. The legend here is that of  a woman named Okyo who worked as a geisha, killed her husband and ran away with lover. They attempted a double suicide, but they decided to do become pilgrims instead. When got to this temple, her black hair twined around the bell, roped around her black hair and her head skin fell off.
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  • Negoroji Temple Gate - Negoroji Temple - It’s from this temple that the name of the prefecture, Kagawa is derived. Kagawa means ‘incense river’ and it’s named after a river thought to flow from the roots of a tree in the courtyard of the temple. It’s located on the same plateau as temple 81. Interesting features of the temple include a shrine with 10,000 images of Kannon, a thousand-year-old Zelkova tree and a statue in front of the main gate of an ox devil.  The temple is located up midway up Mt. Aomine. Its name means Root Scent Temple. The legend has it that there was a horrible ox demon living on Mt. Aomine who ate people. This demon was slain by a master archer who then dedicated its horns to this temple. In front of the gate is a bronze statue of this ox demon.
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  • Nagaoji Temple is the 87th sacred spot along the Shikoku Henro pilgrimage, is located in Nagao area, facing Nankai Road one of the ancient thoroughfares of Japan. The main hall in front of the tranquil and spacious temple grounds, with the Daishido Hall on the right and the Gomado Hall on the left  The tradition of giving visitors a wooden tag continues to this day as an event called Daieyo Fuku Ubai.
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  • Kokubunji Sanuki Temple - The origins of Sanuki Kokubunji Temple date back to 741, when Emperor Shomu ordered the construction of provincial temples called kokubunji nationwide as a way of praying for peace, abundant harvests and cultural development throughout the land. Kokubunji Sanuki was built by the Buddhist monk Gyoki. Lining the promenade on both sides you will find 88 stone statues modeled after the principle images of every temple on the Shikoku Henro pilgrimage. Behind these stone statues on the right is an enormous boulder over a meter in size, which is the cornerstone of a seven-story pagoda that stood here when the temple was first built. The precincts of Kokubunji, along with its priests quarters and earthen walls are the only nationally designated special historical site in Shikoku.
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  • Goshoji Japanese Pond Garden - Midway up a small hill facing the Seto Inland Sea is Goshoji Temple, the 78th sacred spot along the Shikoku Henro pilgrimage.  It is said that Kobo Daishi paid a visit to Goshoji Temple in 807, where he made a vow to ward off evil, and built a statue there. Even today Goshoji is famous as the temple “where Kobo Daishi wards off evil”. During the Kamakura period, Ippen Shonin, the founder of the Jishu sect, visited Goshoji Temple and propagated the Nenbutsu Odori, a type of Buddhist incantation with dance. As a result, Goshoji Temple is the only temple belonging to the Jishu sect on the Shikoku Henro pilgrimage. As the majority of sacred spots on the pilgrimage are associated with the Shingon sect of Buddhism, the fact that Goshoji Temple is a place of worship for both the Shingon sect and the Jishu sect makes it very unique.
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  • Dainichi-ji is temple No. 13 on the Shikoku pilgrimage. Until its destruction by fire in the 16th century, it was associated with the Ichinomiya Shinto Shrine, across the street. The two were officially separated during the persecution of Buddhism at the beginning of the Meiji Period. The current structure was built in the later part of the Meiji Period.Note that Temple No. 4 is also called Dainichi-ji.
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  • Kaju-ji is located in the Yamashina valley east of Kyoto and was founded in 900 by emperor Daigo who entered priesthood in the nearby Daigo-ji. Like many temples it was destroyed during the Onin war but given it's imperial status it was later restored. The garden of Kaju-ji has a large pond with a two islands. In the early history of the temple the ice covering the pond would be collected on January 2nd and send to the imperial court as ice was once precious as were no fridges at the time. The temple is also known for a uniquely shaped ishidoro stone lantern ishidoro. The lantern was donated by Mitsukuni Mito, a lord of the Kanto region. Near the temple is also located Kasho-an a retreat where Junkyo Ohishi lived and painted.
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  • Shomyoji Pond Garden - Shomyoji was built by Sanetoki Hojo during the Kamakura period, and was made the Hojo family temple of the Kanazawa area. The Jodo style garden with Ajiike Pond in front of the main temple is its most unique feature when considering the arched bridge. The temple's bell was portrayed in the woodblock print "Shomyo-no-Bansho," one of eight prints depicting views of Kanazawa by Hiroshige Utagawa.
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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.
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  • Shomyoji Arched Bridge. Shomyoji was built by Sanetoki Hojo during the Kamakura period, and was made the Hojo family temple of the Kanazawa area. The Jodo style garden with Ajiike Pond in front of the main temple is its most unique feature when considering the arched bridge. The temple's bell was portrayed in the woodblock print "Shomyo-no-Bansho," one of eight prints depicting views of Kanazawa by Hiroshige Utagawa.
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  • Kanchi-in at Toji - There are five stones in the Godai-no-niwa Garden accessible from the reception room that represente Godaikokuzo Bodhisattva, expressing the return of Kobo Daishi from China. In addition, there is a tea ceremony chamber called the Fusenkan north of the main building, a shishi odoshi deer scare, stone lanterns and seasonal flowers create a quiet, relaxed atmosphere. Its Kyakuden guest hall is a shoin-zukuri style building beside the main hall looks out over the stone garden and a tea house classified as a National Treasure. Kanchi-in famous for its exquisite gardens as well as an ink painting by the swordsman Miyamoto Musashi.
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  • Kanchi-in at Toji - There are five stones in the Godai-no-niwa Garden accessible from the reception room that represente Godaikokuzo Bodhisattva, expressing the return of Kobo Daishi from China. In addition, there is a tea ceremony chamber called the Fusenkan north of the main building, a shishi odoshi deer scare, stone lanterns and seasonal flowers create a quiet, relaxed atmosphere. Its Kyakuden guest hall is a shoin-zukuri style building beside the main hall looks out over the stone garden and a tea house classified as a National Treasure. Kanchi-in famous for its exquisite gardens as well as an ink painting by the swordsman Miyamoto Musashi.
    Kanchi-in-Toji-4.jpg
  • Enju Toru Garden - Shinjuku City Enju Toryu Garden is a garden maintained by Shinjuku City with the donation of land and maintenance costs from the residents. In response to the donor's desire to create a Japanese-style garden that retains the remnants of Mejiro Cultural Village, it was developed as a garden with waterfalls and streams. In addition to transplanting the original pine trees and plums, we also plant azaleas, maples, and other plants that give the impression of the four seasons.
    Enju-Toru-Garden-1.jpg
  • Sakudari Kannon is the 21st of Aizu's 33 Kannon pilgrimage sites is Sakudari Kannon of Rinzaishu Sakudariyama Kannon-ji Temple.  This is a unique three-story structure that was built by cutting into the stone on a mountainside. It is a scenic spot from which Mount Bandai can be viewed from the edge of the veranda and the Okawa River can be viewed below. This hall is thought to have been built by the monk Tokuitsu in 830.Stories about the hidden stone Buddhist statues continue to be told to this day.
    sakudari-kannon-8.jpg
  • Sakudari Kannon is the 21st of Aizu's 33 Kannon pilgrimage sites is Sakudari Kannon of Rinzaishu Sakudariyama Kannon-ji Temple.  This is a unique three-story structure that was built by cutting into the stone on a mountainside. It is a scenic spot from which Mount Bandai can be viewed from the edge of the veranda and the Okawa River can be viewed below. This hall is thought to have been built by the monk Tokuitsu in 830.Stories about the hidden stone Buddhist statues continue to be told to this day.
    sakudari-kannon-7.jpg
  • Rinkaku is the teahouse within the main enclosure of Aizuwakamatsu Castle - also known as Tsuruga Castle. It is a Japanese tea room that is said to have been built by Sen-no-Rikyu's child, Sen Shoan.  The tea room that Sen Shoan built here during his stay in Aizu is Rinkaku" After that, Shoan returned to Kyoto to revive the tea ceremony, and his son and grandson handed it down to the present day as the Omotesenke, Urasenke and MushakojisenkeIt schols of tea ceremony. is designated as an important cultural property by Fukushima Prefecture.
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  • Oyakuen Garden was built by the feudal lords of Aizu -  these were medicinal gardens for Aizu domain. Its name is derived from the circuit style garden that incorporates the pond shaped like the Chinese character for heart or kokoro in its design, and the adjacent medicinal garden grows a variety of medicinal herbs.. Oyakuen is a daimyo garden built for  the lord of the Aizu domain during the Edo period.  The garden was designed by Meguro Josei, a disciple of Kobori Enshu.  It is now officially called Aizu Matsudaira Garden though locals and maps still call it Oyakuen.  The current daimyo garden was created in 1696 and its scale was expanded from the original Shin-ji pond by Meguro Jyosei, and became this tsukiyama-izumi style garden, which was the standard for daimyo gardens in the Edo period. Oyakuen has been listed as a nationally designated scenic spot.
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  • Ouchi-juku prospered as a post town on an important road connecting Aizu Wakamatsu City and Nikko during the Edo period. Even today, private homes with thatched roofs proliferate,; shopkeepers typically live in their stores. In 1981, Ouchi Juku was designated as a nationally important traditional buildings preservation district. In order to pass on the landscape to future children, a resident charter was created on the three principles of "do not sell, do not lend, do not destroy" so as to preserve the landscape with traditional thatch roofing. Traditional thatched roofs are maintained by the villagers by means of their own conservation activities - the villagers work together centered on craftsmen called Kayate who has specialized skills. Thatched roof is made up of Japanese pampas grass - cool in the summer and warm in the winter, but it is very vulnerable to fire and spreads quickly once it burns. Therefore, in the village of Ouchi-juku, water is discharged by giant sprays every year on September 1.
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  • Kagetsutei Garden Museum - the Japanese garden that opened in 2018 after renovation of the sake brewery Nabe Sanhonten formerly owned by the Hoshino family.  The sake brewery and garden have been here since the Edo period. The guest room and storehouse built in the early Showa period are nationally registered cultural properties, and the garden is said to have been created by Meguro Jyosei, who also designed nearby Oyakuen.  It is a pond spring strolling garden composed mainly of two artificial hills, with an atmosphere that is certainly similar to that of Oyakuen. Meguro was a disciple of renowned garden designed Kobori Enshu.
    kagestutei-6.jpg
  • Unrei-an is a Japanese garden found within the compound of Aizu Homare Shuzo Sake distillery.  The garden was created during the Showa period.  This garden was started by the founder Kosaku Karahashi, and the name Unrei-an comes from the view of the summit of Mt. Bandai from the clouds as a borrowed landscape.  Visitors may freely stroll around the garden, and also sample more than 10 types of sake at the adjacent sake brewing facility. It was named Unrei-an by Dr. Tetsuo Watanuki because you can see the summit of Mt. Bandai in the background of the garden . It is built using the vast virgin forest so there are plentiful zelkova, pine, maple, cherry trees in each season. The sake here has won many awards and is given as gifts to VIPs visiting Japan.
    homare-sake-garden-12.jpg
  • Unrei-an is a Japanese garden found within the compound of Aizu Homare Shuzo Sake distillery.  The garden was created during the Showa period.  This garden was started by the founder Kosaku Karahashi, and the name Unrei-an comes from the view of the summit of Mt. Bandai from the clouds as a borrowed landscape.  Visitors may freely stroll around the garden, and also sample more than 10 types of sake at the adjacent sake brewing facility. It was named Unrei-an by Dr. Tetsuo Watanuki because you can see the summit of Mt. Bandai in the background of the garden . It is built using the vast virgin forest so there are plentiful zelkova, pine, maple, cherry trees in each season. The sake here has won many awards and is given as gifts to VIPs visiting Japan.
    homare-sake-garden-11.jpg
  • Unrei-an is a Japanese garden found within the compound of Aizu Homare Shuzo Sake distillery.  The garden was created during the Showa period.  This garden was started by the founder Kosaku Karahashi, and the name Unrei-an comes from the view of the summit of Mt. Bandai from the clouds as a borrowed landscape.  Visitors may freely stroll around the garden, and also sample more than 10 types of sake at the adjacent sake brewing facility. It was named Unrei-an by Dr. Tetsuo Watanuki because you can see the summit of Mt. Bandai in the background of the garden . It is built using the vast virgin forest so there are plentiful zelkova, pine, maple, cherry trees in each season. The sake here has won many awards and is given as gifts to VIPs visiting Japan.
    homare-sake-garden-02.jpg
  • 21st Century Memorial Park Hayama no Mori is adjacent to Hayama Park selected as one of the 100 Best Historical Parks in Japan.  There is a Japanese garden area, a tea room Mugen-an, and a Sukiya-style architecture Foot Sanso.  In the beautiful Japanese garden where the seasons change, there is a tea ceremony room, a tea ceremony room, and hermitage that can be used for tea ceremony and flower arrangement. It is a sukiya-zukuri building that was set up for the purpose of improving technology while inheriting the traditions and culture of Japan
    hayama-no-mori-22.jpg
  • 21st Century Memorial Park Hayama no Mori is adjacent to Hayama Park selected as one of the 100 Best Historical Parks in Japan.  There is a Japanese garden area, a tea room Mugen-an, and a Sukiya-style architecture Foot Sanso.  In the beautiful Japanese garden where the seasons change, there is a tea ceremony room, a tea ceremony room, and hermitage that can be used for tea ceremony and flower arrangement. It is a sukiya-zukuri building that was set up for the purpose of improving technology while inheriting the traditions and culture of Japan
    hayama-no-mori-21.jpg
  • 21st Century Memorial Park Hayama no Mori is adjacent to Hayama Park selected as one of the 100 Best Historical Parks in Japan.  There is a Japanese garden area, a tea room Mugen-an, and a Sukiya-style architecture Foot Sanso.  In the beautiful Japanese garden where the seasons change, there is a tea ceremony room, a tea ceremony room, and hermitage that can be used for tea ceremony and flower arrangement. It is a sukiya-zukuri building that was set up for the purpose of improving technology while inheriting the traditions and culture of Japan
    hayama-no-mori-18.jpg
  • 21st Century Memorial Park Hayama no Mori is adjacent to Hayama Park selected as one of the 100 Best Historical Parks in Japan.  There is a Japanese garden area, a tea room Mugen-an, and a Sukiya-style architecture Foot Sanso.  In the beautiful Japanese garden where the seasons change, there is a tea ceremony room, a tea ceremony room, and hermitage that can be used for tea ceremony and flower arrangement. It is a sukiya-zukuri building that was set up for the purpose of improving technology while inheriting the traditions and culture of Japan
    hayama-no-mori-17.jpg
  • 21st Century Memorial Park Hayama no Mori is adjacent to Hayama Park selected as one of the 100 Best Historical Parks in Japan.  There is a Japanese garden area, a tea room Mugen-an, and a Sukiya-style architecture Foot Sanso.  In the beautiful Japanese garden where the seasons change, there is a tea ceremony room, a tea ceremony room, and hermitage that can be used for tea ceremony and flower arrangement. It is a sukiya-zukuri building that was set up for the purpose of improving technology while inheriting the traditions and culture of Japan
    hayama-no-mori-16.jpg
  • 21st Century Memorial Park Hayama no Mori is adjacent to Hayama Park selected as one of the 100 Best Historical Parks in Japan.  There is a Japanese garden area, a tea room Mugen-an, and a Sukiya-style architecture Foot Sanso.  In the beautiful Japanese garden where the seasons change, there is a tea ceremony room, a tea ceremony room, and hermitage that can be used for tea ceremony and flower arrangement. It is a sukiya-zukuri building that was set up for the purpose of improving technology while inheriting the traditions and culture of Japan
    hayama-no-mori-14.jpg
  • 21st Century Memorial Park Hayama no Mori is adjacent to Hayama Park selected as one of the 100 Best Historical Parks in Japan.  There is a Japanese garden area, a tea room Mugen-an, and a Sukiya-style architecture Foot Sanso.  In the beautiful Japanese garden where the seasons change, there is a tea ceremony room, a tea ceremony room, and hermitage that can be used for tea ceremony and flower arrangement. It is a sukiya-zukuri building that was set up for the purpose of improving technology while inheriting the traditions and culture of Japan
    hayama-no-mori-12.jpg
  • Rinkaku is the teahouse within the main enclosure of Aizuwakamatsu Castle - also known as Tsuruga Castle. It is a Japanese tea room that is said to have been built by Sen-no-Rikyu's child, Sen Shoan.  The tea room that Sen Shoan built here during his stay in Aizu is Rinkaku" After that, Shoan returned to Kyoto to revive the tea ceremony, and his son and grandson handed it down to the present day as the Omotesenke, Urasenke and MushakojisenkeIt schols of tea ceremony. is designated as an important cultural property by Fukushima Prefecture.
    rinkaku-05.jpg
  • Rinkaku is the teahouse within the main enclosure of Aizuwakamatsu Castle - also known as Tsuruga Castle. It is a Japanese tea room that is said to have been built by Sen-no-Rikyu's child, Sen Shoan.  The tea room that Sen Shoan built here during his stay in Aizu is Rinkaku" After that, Shoan returned to Kyoto to revive the tea ceremony, and his son and grandson handed it down to the present day as the Omotesenke, Urasenke and MushakojisenkeIt schols of tea ceremony. is designated as an important cultural property by Fukushima Prefecture.
    rinkaku-06.jpg
  • Rinkaku is the teahouse within the main enclosure of Aizuwakamatsu Castle - also known as Tsuruga Castle. It is a Japanese tea room that is said to have been built by Sen-no-Rikyu's child, Sen Shoan.  The tea room that Sen Shoan built here during his stay in Aizu is Rinkaku" After that, Shoan returned to Kyoto to revive the tea ceremony, and his son and grandson handed it down to the present day as the Omotesenke, Urasenke and MushakojisenkeIt schols of tea ceremony. is designated as an important cultural property by Fukushima Prefecture.
    rinkaku-04.jpg
  • Rinkaku is the teahouse within the main enclosure of Aizuwakamatsu Castle - also known as Tsuruga Castle. It is a Japanese tea room that is said to have been built by Sen-no-Rikyu's child, Sen Shoan.  The tea room that Sen Shoan built here during his stay in Aizu is Rinkaku" After that, Shoan returned to Kyoto to revive the tea ceremony, and his son and grandson handed it down to the present day as the Omotesenke, Urasenke and MushakojisenkeIt schols of tea ceremony. is designated as an important cultural property by Fukushima Prefecture.
    rinkaku-02.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-4.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-3.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
  • Sakudari Kannon is the 21st of Aizu's 33 Kannon pilgrimage sites is Sakudari Kannon of Rinzaishu Sakudariyama Kannon-ji Temple.  This is a unique three-story structure that was built by cutting into the stone on a mountainside. It is a scenic spot from which Mount Bandai can be viewed from the edge of the veranda and the Okawa River can be viewed below. This hall is thought to have been built by the monk Tokuitsu in 830.Stories about the hidden stone Buddhist statues continue to be told to this day.
    sakudari-kannon-5.jpg
  • Sakudari Kannon is the 21st of Aizu's 33 Kannon pilgrimage sites is Sakudari Kannon of Rinzaishu Sakudariyama Kannon-ji Temple.  This is a unique three-story structure that was built by cutting into the stone on a mountainside. It is a scenic spot from which Mount Bandai can be viewed from the edge of the veranda and the Okawa River can be viewed below. This hall is thought to have been built by the monk Tokuitsu in 830.Stories about the hidden stone Buddhist statues continue to be told to this day.
    sakudari-kannon-2.jpg
  • Saiseikan was a Western-style prefectural hospital building completed in September 1871.  From 1907 it was used as the main building of the municipal hospital Saiseikan. At the time of its founding, it also functioned as a medical school, under Austrian physician Lauretz teaching modern medicine education.  It was designated as a national important cultural property on December 5, 1971, and was relocated and restored at Kajo Park and is now known as "Yamagata City Folk Museum". The facility is open to the public, with local history and medical materials are on display.
    saiseikan-5.jpg
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