水前寺公園On the southern island of Kyushu, in the city of Kumamoto, far from the main station, in a drab suburb, is a place well worth visiting.
Suizenji Koen is a Japanese garden that was built by Lord Hosokawa Tadatoshi in the 17th century. (His direct descendant, Hosokawa Morihiro, was the prime minister of Japan from 1993 - 1994).
Construction of the garden began in 1636. It was originally meant to be a tea retreat.
Within the grounds of the park is Izumi Shrine, in which members of the Hosokawa family are enshrined.
There is a also a Noh theater, Nogaku-do.
The park took 80 years to build, and represents the 53 stations along the Tokaido Highway that stretched from Kyoto to Tokyo.
The most obvious design element of the park is the representation of Mount Fuji, pictured above.
Access
A long, long bike ride from Kumamoto Station or Castle, Alternatively, the tram is a 30 minute ride from JR Kumamoto Station. Get off at "Suizenji Koen" tram stop, which is a 5-6 minute walk to the park.
Information
Hours: 7:30 to 18:00 (March to November)
8:30 to 17:00 (December to February)
Admission ends 30 minutes before closing time.
Closed: No closing days
Admission: 400 yen
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