Fujiie-shi Gyokurakuen Garden

Overview

Fujiie-shi Gyokurakuen Garden is a Japanese garden located in Kawasaki-machi, Tagawa-gun, Fukuoka Prefecture. It's a renowned garden said to have been designed by Sesshu during the Muromachi period and is designated as a Place of Scenic Beauty. The name Gyokurakuen was given by the late Edo period scholar Murakami Bussan, reportedly taken from a line in the Daya chapter of the Classic of Poetry: "If the fish are happy, the people are also happy; if the people are happy, the fish are also happy…" Created at a time when Kyoto was devastated by the Ōnin War, this garden reflects Sesshu's longing for peace after fleeing the conflict. It was intended as a utopian vision of peace. Sesshu is said to have lived in Tagawa-gun (present-day Tagawa-gun) for two or three years until the Ōnin War subsided. Utilizing the natural mountain landscape as a backdrop, the garden features a central pond with water features and three stone bridges. Azaleas, maple trees, camellias, and other plants are carefully arranged to provide a captivating display of seasonal beauty.