Suizen-ji Jōju-en

Suizen-ji Jōju-en
Suizen-ji Jōju-en
水前寺成趣園
	Suizen-ji Jōju-en Wikimedia \| © OpenStreetMap
	Wikimedia \| © OpenStreetMap
Type	Japanese garden
Location	Kumamoto Prefecture, Japan
Coordinates	32°47′28″N 130°44′05″E / 32.791092°N 130.734594°ECoordinates: 32°47′28″N 130°44′05″E / 32.791092°N 130.734594°E
Created	1636

Suizen-ji Jōju-en (水前寺成趣園) is a ^[1] Japanese garden located within Suizen-ji Park (水前寺公園, Suizen-ji Kōen) in Kumamoto Prefecture, Japan. The main tsukiyama is a representation of Mount Fuji. Lord Hosokawa Tadatoshi began construction of the garden in 1636 as a tea retreat. The park was named after a no-longer-extant Buddhist temple called Suizen-ji, and now hosts the Izumi Shrine, where members of the Hosokawa family are enshrined, and a Nōgaku-dō, a Noh theater. Lord Hosokawa selected this site because of its spring-fed pond, the clean water of which was excellent for tea.^[2] The thatched Kokin-Denju-no-Ma teahouse was originally in Kyoto's Imperial Palace, but was moved here in 1912.

The garden has been declared by the national government a historic site of scenic beauty.

Suizenji Park[]

Suizenji Kōen is an interesting and much visited venue, featuring miniature landscapes, a temple and small lakes containing large, hungry, and multi-coloured carp. It is a short tram ride from the city. Nearby, there are many souvenir and snack shops.

Gallery[]

The pond
The pond
The Kokin-Denju-no-Ma teahouse
The Yabusame (horseback archery) riding ground
An arched bridge
Replica of Mount Fuji
Izumi Shrine
A large carp in the park
Statue of Hosokawa Tadatoshi

Notes[]

^ Tsukiyama gardens are Japanese gardens featuring an artificial mountain (a tsukiyama).
^ "Pylant, Don D. Japanese Gardening Organization - Suizenji Park". Botanysaurus. 2001-10-11. Archived from the original on 2010-09-03. Retrieved 2008-07-23.

References[]

Explore Japan, Suizenji Garden accessed on August 31, 2009

Bibliography[]

Mansfield, Stephen (2011). Japan's Master Gardens - Lessons in Space and Environment (Hardback). Tokyo, Rutland, Singapore: Tuttle. ISBN 978-4-8053-1128-8.

[1] Tsukiyama gardens are Japanese gardens featuring an artificial mountain (a tsukiyama).

[2] "Pylant, Don D. Japanese Gardening Organization - Suizenji Park". Botanysaurus. 2001-10-11. Archived from the original on 2010-09-03. Retrieved 2008-07-23.

[1]

[2]