Located in the city of Hiroshima you have the beautiful historic Japanese garden of Shukkei-en. However, the best part is the city combined a couple of great features together as the garden is located next to the Hiroshima Prefectural Art Museum. What is really interesting and is something to consider is the history of the Shukkei-en garden and how long it has been around.
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History Of Shukkei-en
For many Americans, who this article is directed towards anything older than the 1900’s is considered really old. However, the Shukkei-en would be considered ancient because it was started in 1620, which is during the Edo period.
The garden was started under the order of Asano Nagaakira who was the daimyo of the Hiroshima Han. The person in charge of the construction of Shukkei-en was Ueda Soko who was the lord of Asano as the chief retainer and tea master of the region.
The garden would serve as the Villa of the Asano family since the Meiji period. However, the Imperial General Headquarters was relocated to Hiroshima under Emperor Meiji and the emperor would briefly call the location his home as he stayed in the villa.
After some time the Shukkei-en gardens would be opened up to the public. During World War 2, in 1940, the gardens were donated to the Hiroshima Prefecture. Now, as many school kids and others even know Hiroshima was attacked by the nuclear bomb to end the war. The garden, which is located in Hiroshima was not far from ground zero and was extensively damaged.
Renovations had to be completed at the gardens before they could reopen to the public. However, in the immediate aftermath the garden would play host to the victims of the bombing. Once the renovations had been completed for the most part, the gardens were able to reopen to the public in 1951.
Hours Of Shukkei-en
The times are based on the local Japanese time for the region. However, the park is opened from 0900 until 1800 hours from the middle of March until October. The garden is open in the winter months as well, but the hours are changed to 0900 until 1700.
Cost of Shukkei-en
Like many gardens around the world it does cost some money to get into the garden. Granted, it is not overly expensive with a price of only 260 yen at the writing of this article. For those who want that converted it is roughly 2 dollars in USD for the admission fee.
Hilton Hiroshima
How To Get To Shukkei-en
The garden is actually very easy to get to. Shukkei-en is only a short 15 minute walk from the Hiroshima station. If you want to take the bus you can go on the Hiroshima Sightseeing Loop Bus which is a 4 minute right. The tram is going to stop at tram line 9 from the station and it will take roughly 15 minutes to reach.
Features Of The Garden
I have to say that the features of the garden are something that is fairly obvious. I mean it doesn’t have paintings for you to look at or even music venues to enjoy. So what does it have? That is an easy answer as it has plenty of plants and natural beauty located inside the confines of a major city.
The path is definitely one of the most enjoyable ones for you to follow. However, the quietness in the region makes it easier for you to reflect on the beauty of the region. At the same time, the path around the pond and the bridge meanders just enough for you to enjoy getting your thoughts and relaxation to the point that you are going to be able to deal with the stress of a major city.
Shukkei-en Garden Worth The Stop?
This is a common question that a lot of people have. However, the key thing is to realize this is a place that is definitely worth stopping at. The place has all you would expect to see in a traditional Japanese style garden. Overall, I have to say that the tranquility of the garden and the fact that it is so old definitely makes this one stop to consider when you are traveling around Hiroshima.
