Japan Shikoku

🌟Uwajima Tenshaen It is a historic garden in Uwajima City, Ehime Prefecture, Japan, with important cultural and historical value. The following is its historical background and characteristics - Tensaen was built in 1675 in the middle of the Edo period by Date Munenaga, the second lord of the Uwajima Domain (a branch of the Date Clan). - The garden was originally used as a villa and resting place for the feudal lord, but gradually developed into a space with both political and cultural functions. - The name "Tianshe" comes from ancient Chinese thought, meaning "the grace of heaven", reflecting the feudal lord's reverence for nature and destiny. After the Meiji Restoration, the garden was abandoned for a period, but was restored by local people during the Taisho era (1912–1926) and opened to the public. It was designated as a national scenic spot in 1934 and is now an important cultural landscape of Japan. The garden's unique design style combines a pond-and-spring circuit garden with borrowed scenery techniques, utilizing the surrounding mountain scenery and natural terrain to create a landscape with rich layers. The garden features ponds, bridges, stone lanterns and teahouses, reflecting the elegant style of the daimyo gardens of the Edo period. The garden bears witness to the history of the Uwajima Domain and was also a place for communication between the Date family and literati, leaving behind many waka poems and inscriptions. The "Zuigetsu-tei" teahouse in the garden was the place where the feudal lord would admire the moon and hold tea parties. 🤳Modern Uses -Now open as a tourist attraction, the scenery varies with each season, and the cherry blossoms in spring and the red leaves in autumn are particularly famous. - You can also visit Uwajima Castle (one of the 12 existing castle towers in Japan) and Date Museum in the surrounding area to learn more about local history. Tensaen Garden is not only a representative of Japanese garden art, but also a microcosm of the history of the Uwajima region. It is suitable for tourists who are interested in Japanese culture and samurai history.