This is a garden facing north, situated at the south side of the inner shrine of Hyozu-jinja. When the garden was designated as a National Place of Scenic Beauty in 1953, it was believed to have been built in the mid- to late Kamakura Period. However, the later reconstruction and improvement project revealed ruins characteristic of the Heian Period, confirming that the garden was made in the late and final years of the Heian Period.
cultural property : historic sites and places of scenic beauty as natural monuments
type : places of scenic beauty
566 Gojo, Yasu-shi, Shiga-ken 520-2424
Tel：077-589-2072
This is a stroll garden with a large pond built facing north at the south of the inner shrine of Hyozu-jinja. There is a Nakajima (central island) with a stone bridge in the pond made in the shape of the Chinese character for “heart (Kokoro).” The garden has diverse scenery including the Nakajima with a Hokora (small shrine), a peninsula, and a Tsukiyama (artificial hill).
During a recent repair and improvement project, the pond was drained to carry out excavation. As a result, the ruin of a Suhama (sandy beach) was found, which is characterstic of gardens built in the Heian Period.
The garden was originally thought to have been created in the mid- to final Kamakura Period, but the discovery of the ruin confirmed that it was made in the late- to final Heian Period. The garden is covered in fresh green haircap moss (Polytrichum) and Hypnum plumaeforme Wilson. Visitors can enjoy beautiful seasonal scenery such as azaleas in spring, tender green in early summer, sweet flags (Acorus calamus) during the rainy season, Japanese maples in fall, and a snowscape in winter.