The garden is believed to have been built by Governor Hosokawa Musahi-no-kami Takakuni in 1531 (the Kyoroku Era of the Muromachi Period). This is a garden of Gensei-in, a sub-temple of the former Heisen-ji of the Tendai sect, and the oldest existing garden in the Hokuriku region. More than 200 species of moss grow throughout the garden, creating a mystic landscape.
cultural property : historic sites and places of scenic beauty as natural monuments
type : places of scenic beauty
56-63 Heisenji Heisenjicho, Katsuyama-shi, Fukui-ken 911-0822
Tel：0779-88-1591
This is a garden of Gensei-in, a sub-temple of former Heisen-ji of the Tendai sect, and it is believed that the garden was built by Governor Hosokawa Musashi-no-kami Takakuni in 1531 in the Muromachi Period. It is a stroll Karesansui (dry landscape) garden located at the east of the building. There is a Tsukiyama (artificial hill) on the front upper level, and a dry pond is placed in front of the Tsukiyama. The principal stone is set on the highest point of the Tsukiyama. Stones are arranged in a spiral with the principal stone at the center to represent a waterfall. There is a stone arrangement to the far left of the pond, which also represents a waterfall. In the dry pond, a crane island and a turtle island are placed, and a stone bridge is installed near the turtle island. More than 200 species of moss carpet the entire garden, creating a mystic landscape. Behind the garden, old trees of Japanese cedar (Cryptomeria japonica), Japanese fir (Abies firma), and maple grow densely. The slope halfway up the hill is dotted with young cedars, among which stand azaleas and a few stone lanterns. Altogether, they give the garden a quiet and elegant appearance.