An unexpectedly quiet stroll in Kobe City’s Sorakuen, a stroll-pond garden featuring a former houseboat decorated with rich lacquer. The former Hassam House relocated from Kitano-cho and an European-style stable is unique to this garden. A visit during the azalea or chrysanthemum season is highly recommended.
Eye-feasting on lush green landscape of Tonogayato Teien, one of the 9 Tokyo Metropolitan Gardens, located in Kokubunji of western Tokyo. Dating back to 1913 as a villa garden, Tonogayato Teien features a circuit style garden, centred on a pond of natural spring water.
Admiring the wild rock garden designed by Muso Soseki at Zuisenji, a Rinzai sect. of Zen Buddhism temple located in eastern Kamakura. Also called the Temple of Flowers, the flower garden in the temple features various flowers across the four seasons, and is especially famous for its plum blossom.
Exploring the large grounds of Sanzen-in, Ohara’s most popular temple, built by Saicho, the founder of Tendai sect. of Buddhism. Enjoying the pleasant autumn scenery in the moss garden and amusing myself with the laughing Buddhas.
Enjoying three distinct gardens at Hōsen-in, especially famous for the view of a “framed” garden from the tatami room. The blood-stained ceilings from Fushimi Castle creates a contrasting feeling of solemness against the serenity of the garden scenery.
Enjoying autumn in Rikugien, one of Tokyo’s most adored landscape gardens. Named after the six divisions of Waka, a type of Japanese poetry, Rikugien offers a massive strolling garden around ponds and hills.
Catching autumn in bright weather at Yuzen Garden in Chion-in, a famous garden designed in the Showa Era in commemoration of Miyazaki Yuzen, famous for founding the Yuzen dyeing style. Yuzen Garden features two separate gardens, a hill and pond garden with a bronze Kannon statue, and a vast rock garden, Rokuya-on.
A relaxing time at Jikko-in having green tea and Japanese sweets while admiring beautiful garden scenery.
Continuing my exploration at Daitokuji, visiting Souken-in – the mortuary temple of Oda Nobunaga, Ōbai-in – famous for the rare kare-sansui garden Jikuchu-tei which is covered in moss, and Ryogen-in which boosts 5 different dry landscape gardens.
Exploring the massive Daitokuji, the Rinzai-sect of Buddhism temple complex and some of its sub-temples, all famous for their kare-sansui, dry landscape rock gardens – Daisen-in, Zuihou-in and Kourin-in.
Though relatively newly reconstructed structures and inaccessible buildings (unlike favored Nijo Castle), the gardens at the Kyoto Gosho makes this a worthy visit thanks to its otherworldly views.
