Shukkeien

Shukkeien means shrunken-scenery garden, and the design does what the name says: a central pond with islets, small hills, valleys, bridges and a tea house arranged so that a circuit of ten minutes passes through what read as several distinct landscapes at reduced scale. It was laid out in 1620 for the lord of Hiroshima by Ueda Soko, a tea master, and has been rebuilt more than once - most recently after 1945, when it was near the hypocentre and was destroyed along with the surrounding district; it reopened in 1951. Several trees in the garden survived and are marked, and the site served as a refuge in the days afterwards, which is recorded on a memorial within the grounds. Today it is a quiet garden in the middle of the city, with carp in the pond, a plum grove and maples that colour in November, next door to the prefectural art museum.

History

Building began in 1620 on the orders of Asano Nagaakira, daimyō of Hiroshima, and the garden was made by Ueda Sōko, the domain's chief retainer and a tea master. From the Meiji period it served as the Asano family's villa, and when the Imperial General Headquarters moved to Hiroshima, Emperor Meiji stayed here for a time. The garden was opened to the public, and in 1940 the Asano family gave it to Hiroshima Prefecture. It was badly damaged in 1945, and after restoration it reopened in 1951 (Wikipedia, Shukkei-en).

What's there

• Shrunken landscapes - a short circuit passing several scenes at reduced scale.
• A 1620 design - laid out by a tea master for the lord of Hiroshima.
• Survivor trees - marked specimens that lived through 1945, in a garden rebuilt by 1951.
• The pond circuit - islets, bridges, a tea house and carp at the centre.

When to go

April for cherry, November for maples. An hour or two.

Before you go

It is small and the circuit is short - an hour covers it comfortably. Entry is charged and it closes at five in winter. Surrounding buildings are visible over the walls. Summer humidity in Hiroshima is heavy.

Nearby

The prefectural art museum adjoins it; Hiroshima Castle is west.

Key facts