Murasaki Shikibu Park, Literary memorial park in Echizen, Japan.
Murasaki Shikibu Park in Echizen is a shinden-zukuri garden laid out to recall the residence of the author of The Tale of Genji. A pond with an island lies at its centre, and at the water's edge stands a tsuridono fishing pavilion of pale weathered planks on dark posts, roofed in grey-green tiles with deep eaves. A gilded statue of Murasaki Shikibu by sculptor Entsuba Katsuzo stands in the grounds.
The park was created to commemorate Murasaki Shikibu, who stayed in this area when her father Fujiwara no Tametoki served as provincial governor. The site is laid out as a shinden-zukuri garden, the aristocratic style of her Heian period. A golden statue by Cultural Medal recipient Katsuzo Entsuba and a cypress fishing pavilion stand in the grounds.
The park is named after Murasaki Shikibu, the author of The Tale of Genji, one of Japan's most important literary works. A golden statue placed here honors her memory and reminds visitors of her lasting influence on Japanese culture.
The park lies in Higashisenpuku-chō, Echizen, about 1 km from Shikibu Station on the Hapi-Line Fukui and 250 m from the Bunkyō 1-chōme bus stop, served by the Fukutetsu Hakusan and Ōshio-Kawano-Kaigan lines. By taxi it is 2.5–3 km from Takefu Station and 5.5 km from Echizen-Takefu Station on the Hokuriku Shinkansen; by car, 5.5 km from the Takefu IC on the Hokuriku Expressway. The Shikibu statue and the cypress fishing pavilion are open to view freely.
An adjacent museum displays traditional crafts and shows the author's writing methods through modern exhibition approaches. This combination of a historical garden with contemporary interpretation creates an interesting bridge between past and present.
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