Kokoen Gardens

It seems that every garden we visit is more beautiful than the previous one. Such was the case today with Kokoen Gardens.

Its expanse is 3.5 hectares (8.5 acres) in size, located just south-west of Himeji Castle. It consists of 9 separate strolling-style gardens of different sizes and landscaping themes in style of the Edo Period (1603 and 1868). The largest of the gardens is called “The Garden of the Lord's Residence.” Beside it lies the “Tea Ceremony Garden” with the Sukiya-style tea house. “Souju-an,” with its authentic Edo Period buildings and landscaping, is used as a backdrop for period TV dramas and movies.

The ponds throughout the gardens are teeming with large, colorful coy fish, which swim gracefully, adding to the serene ambiance. While our guide did not say anything about the age of these fish, similar coy fish, grace the ponds around the Imperial Palace in Beijing, China. Some of them are reputed to be more than 100 years old. In China these fish have become symbolic of longevity. Regardless of the age of the fish we saw today, they were a beautiful addition to the gardens.

The gardens are not huge, occupying less than 10 acres. Today they proved large enough, however, to allow Glenda and me to find a few places separated from the other tourists. It’s easy to find a quiet little niche under a pine tree, or sitting in a rock where one can listen to the splashing of a small waterfall. It is difficult to imagine a more peaceful, or a more beautiful place than the Kokoen Gardens.Read more