• This is beautiful Japanese garden, Ritsurin Park in Takamatsu, Shikoku Island. We can find many beauties because described as 'One step ,one scenery'. This day was fantastic scenery just after rain and being covered with the haze in Shiunzan mountain. Refer to the Takamatsu city tourist information. Following information are quoted from the signboards.

• Ritsurin Park, comprising six ponds and thirteen miniature hills against the deep greenery of Mt. Shiun, reminds you of traditional Japanese paintings. It is a rare masterpiece of Japanese garden designing created by Takamatsu clan. Ikoma Takatoshi, lord of Takamatsu domain, had a villa built here at the foot of Mt. Shiun about 370 years ago.Later Lord Matsudaira Yorishige started to build an authodox garden and his successors continued to expand and improve it. When it was finally completed in about one hundred years, it was applauded as the best garden in Japan. The garden covers about 75 hectares space. It consists of two parts: Nantei i.e.South Garden and Hokutei i.e. North Garden.Nantei is a typically Japanese rambling garden for strolling in the style of Kobori Enshu.Hokutei smacks of Meiji Era. Its superb appearance surpasses the beauty of Kairakuen Park in Mito, Kenrokuen Park in Kanazawa or Korakuen Park in Okayama, which are often referred to as Japan's best three. Ritsurin Park was designated as National Special Beauty Spot in 1953. Harmonious arrangement of greenery, rocks and water created by unrestrained but refined use of Japanese artistic techniques of gardening. Graceful and aesthetic appearance of teahouses, arbors and bowers. Brilliant colors of carps in the water and unforgettable fragrance and atmosphere of seasonal flowers, which add to the beauty described as 'One step ,one scenery'. These are Nantei. You are sure to feel refreshed when you taste a cup of green tea in the Kikugetsutei after a pleasant stroll of Nantei. Crossing Tokiwa Bridge to pass by the east entrance of the park, you are on the way to Hokutei, which opens another world of beauty centering on Fuyonuma Pond with mysterious lotus flowers open in early summer and Gunohchi Pond where feudal lords practiced duck hunting. Every step you take reveals scenery of different taste from Nantei. In between the two gardens stand display halls: Sanuki Folkcraft Museum ,Commerce and Industry Promotion Center and Museum of Sanuki gargoyle roof tiles as if it is a season of special product fair. And finally you would like to go back to South Garden and enjoy a sip green tea in one of the tearooms to feel refreshed appreciating the elegant Engetsukyo Bridge familiarly known as Taiko(Drum) Bridge.

• Ritsurin Park: The noted garden, celebrated as one of the best in Japan, was completed after one hundred years of construction. Each step you take reveals a new view of the different tasteful aspect of the garden exquisitely arranged. The colorful flowers against beautiful greenery, the hedgerows of tea houses, the sounds of trickling water in the narrow channels, the multicolored Nishiki carps in the ponds
  they are all beautiful beyond description. They look different according to seasons, different times of the day, different weathers. Naturally they make the garden deserve being called the best in Japan, even better than what they call Japan's three best.
  Crossing the Tokiwabashi Bridge, which was transferred from the moat of Takamatsu Castle, to enter the east gate of the park, you will come to a distinctive construction. It is the hall for the Encouragement of Shokoshoreikan(Commerce and Industry Promotion hall)with Sanukimingeikan(Folkcraft Museum) attached. In the Nantei(meaning south garden)you will find: the attractive Higurashitei(tea house) and the Shin higurashitei(new tea house), the Okedoinotaki(falls),which was recently restored,the Kikugetsutei(an aristocratic tea house in the early Edo period's Sukiyazukuri style, meaning moon scooping cottage),a noted moon viewing place, whose appellation comes from a poem of a Chinese poet of the Tang dynasty, Uryoushi. And you can extend your walk across the Engetsukyo Bridge over Nanko(south lake). Then in the Hokutei(North Garden): Kamohikibori, which is said to be the biggest existing duck hunting pond in Japan, and many other lots for cherry trees, Japanese irises, bush clovers, Ume plum trees, which offer flower viewing occasions in their own seasons.
  The name Ritsurin Park literally means a public garden of chestnut coppice, though the chestnut trees were felled and the ground was cleared to give space for duck hunting in 1850. Ritsurin Park is the best garden to get a feel of the authentic Japanese garden of a Daimyo residence. It is designated as Special Scenic Beauty.

• Takamatsu Castle Kitanomaru Tsukimlyagura (Tsuzukiyagura), designated as an important cultural property on August 29, 1950
  The reign of Ikoma family, who constructed Takamatsu Castle (Tamamo Castle), lasted 54 years, and spanned four generations. In 1640 the Ikomas were transferred to Yashima-machi, a fief yielding 10.000 koku (an unit of grain equaled to 5.12 US bushels) in Dewa. Presently this area is known as Yashima-machi Yuri-gun In Akita prefecture. Later in 1642 Yorishige Matsudaira (elder brother of Mitokomon) moved in to the castle as a lord of Eastern Sanuki (120,000 koku). From that time until 1869 - for 11 generations, a period of 228 years - the Matsudaira resided in this Takamatsu Castle. The castle is noted as one of the Japan's three biggest water castles.
  In 1676, during the reign of Yoritsune who was of the second generation or the Matsudairas, Tsukimiyagura (the moon-viewing tower) was completed as a corner tower on the place which had been made by reclaiming land from the sea after the Matsudairas became lord. Watariyagura (the lower bridge with a gate below) was a renovation of Umitemon (the gate facing the sea) which was constructed by the Ikomas. In those days the seawater flowed on the outer side of these towers, which enabled boats to go through the Mizutegomon (the gate facing the sea) and direct]y enter the inside of the castle. Thus, the towers seemed to have served as corner towers to watch boat traffic coming in and out of the castle and to defend against enemy invasion. Trsukimiyagura is characterized by the following features: the four main interior pillars standing in the center which rise from the first story to an attic of the third story with beams crossing each pillar: the decorative black horizontal pieces of timber on the outer walls: the eaves which instead of showing gables, show plain clay walls; the beauty of architectural structures observed within the conjunction of Tsukimiyagura and Watariyagura. In 1927 these constructions changed hands from the Matsudairas to the Matsudaira-kouekikai and in January, 1954, they were turned over to Takamatsu City. In March, 1955 the city launched a program of demolition and restoration. This work was subsidized by the national coffers and prefectural funds. The renovation cost approximate}y 17 million yen and was completed in March 1957.

• Takamatsu Castle Inner Garden
  Takamatsu Castle is also known as Tamamo-jo. This is because the sea around the castle used to be called "Tamamo-no-ura" (Tamamo inlet). The word "Tamamo" was originally used by Kakinomoto-no-hitomaro, a famous poet from the Nara period, as part of the set phrase for "Tamamoyoshi Sanuki" ("Sanuki" being the former name of Kagawa prefecture) in Manyoshu. Today, a part of the castle remains and makes up "Tamamo Park", When Chikamasa Ikoma, a local feudal lord, built the castle, a great garden was said to have been spread out around this area. Later the castle was taken over the Matsudaira clan. Under the region of the second lord, Yoritsune, the palace "Hiunkaku" was constructed. This was the lord's residence and a government office, The present garden's style is Kare-san-sui. which literally means dry - mountain - water and shows the garden's composition created without using any real water at all. It was designed around 1916 using the garden style of the Hansei period as a model (Hansei being the period of reign by provincial governments) In the garden there are kara-kawa (a river without water) running from northeast to southwest and with range of three tsuki-yama (an artificial 'mountain' created with soil) In addition to pine trees which are the main plants. Tubamekashi (holm oak), satsuki (azalea), ume (Japanese plum) and sotetsu (sago palm) also grow. The green leaves of the trees glow against the white walls of the tower and the large stone lanterns are seen through the trees. Such a taste of the garden reminds us of the elegant life style of the ancient feudal lord. The tall rock arrangement around tsuki-yama is a harmonious assembling of mountain rocks. river stones and swamp stones. They are piled up in three layers with rocks of the upper layer closely fitted with the rocks beneath. Other stone objects are a large washbowl 2 meters in height and over 11 tons in weight, and big stepping stones and an artistic stone bridge cut from a single rock. The atmosphere of the garden is different from Ritsurin Park, evoking perpetual interest from viewers Other points of interest are two pine trees standing side by side. One was p]anted by Emperor Showa, then Regent. In 1922, and the other by Empress Nagako, then fiancee of the Regent, in 1923.

Green deep Shiunzan mountain is a background in nature
Shiunzan mountain covered by the fog and trees were cut well, beautiful contrast.		Well maintained pine trees are coming into the view.
Waking through the splendid avenue of pine trees on both sides.		Hokko(North Pond). The west bank is the most beautiful sight with Bairinkyo, 2 islets and Fuyoho.
Byobu-matsu and Hako-matsu	Hokko beautiful shore line with white coggles paved	Trees and foggy Shiunzan mountain	Kansui Pond
Kansui pond and Kikugetsutei tea house	Okedoi-taki Waterfall	Shinbatsuryo bridge	Kikugetsutei tea house
This Japanese maple tree is observed to predict when Japanese maple leaves will change color.		Kikugetsutei was built for tea ceremony house	There are 3 islets in South pond.
Maple shore in Nanko left bank	Foggy Shiunzan mountain is in the background	Nanko or South Pond is the largest in Ritsurin Park	When leaves turn to red, scenery changes different
South pond and Kikugetsutei tea house	Engetsukyo is the largest of the 15 bridges in the park. The reflection of it on the water resembling a crescent gave the bridge this appellation and when you see the elegantly curved half circle of the bridge you take it for granted.
Shiunzan Mountain reflects on North lake	North Pond and Red Ume garden bridge	North Pond from Fuyoho hill	Lotus marsh where lotus flowers will be beautiful
Hiunkaku	Moon-viewing tower	Takamatsu Castle Inner Garden	Ushitora watch tower seen from ruins of castle tower

2010/06/01