Shukkei-en, Japanese strolling garden in Naka-ku, Hiroshima, Japan
Shukkei-en is a Japanese strolling garden in Naka-ku that uses a central pond to connect hills, valleys, and rock formations. The layout spans roughly four hectares and presents different landscape views from every angle.
The garden was created in 1620 as a private retreat for Asano Nagaakira, the first feudal lord of Hiroshima Domain. After destruction in 1945, the site was rebuilt decades later following historical plans.
The name Shukkei-en means "condensed scenery garden", attributed to the Confucian scholar Hayashi Razan; it appears in the Shukkei-en-ki, written in 1713 at the order of the fifth lord Asano Yoshinaga. The garden was long called Sensui-yashiki and later Sen-tei, taking its present name only after the war. Each June a rice-planting tea ceremony is held at the Yūnen-jō paddies, and each May a tea-picking gathering in the tea field.
The site sits near the main train station and opens daily between 9 AM and 6 PM in summer, closing an hour earlier in winter. Visitors should wear comfortable shoes because paths can be uneven and shift between different levels.
Each section reproduces a famous Japanese landscape in compressed form, allowing visitors to walk through multiple regions without leaving the garden. The site is among the few historical gardens in Hiroshima that were fully restored after the war.
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