Wakayama Castle Nishinomaru Garden, Japanese strolling garden at Wakayama Castle, Japan.
Wakayama Castle Nishinomaru Garden is a Japanese strolling garden featuring a central pond with a wooden bridge, maple trees, and traditional pathways throughout the castle grounds. The layout uses the inner moat and natural terrain with steep slopes to create multiple viewing levels and vantage points as you walk through.
The garden was built during the early Edo period on the northwestern side of Mount Torafusu as part of the castle complex. Its design incorporated the existing inner moat and natural slope changes to create its distinctive structure.
The garden's name refers to its location on the western side of the castle, and the Koshoan tea house remains an active space where visitors observe how formal tea practices continue as part of daily life. This hands-on experience shows how hospitality customs shape the way people move through and use the space.
The garden is open daily and accessible on foot from Wakayama Station or by local bus, with various pathways leading through the grounds. Comfortable shoes are recommended as the terrain includes steep sections and multiple elevation changes throughout your visit.
The garden intentionally uses multiple elevation levels and connects to steeper areas like Tsuruno Valley, meaning views of plants and water shift dramatically depending on the season and where you stand. This varied terrain rewards visitors who take time to explore different pathways and angles throughout the space.
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