Shōhin-ken
Shōhin-ken is a teahouse built in the first year of the Genroku period (1688) by Naoyuki Matsui, lord of Yatsushiro Castle. At that time, it was a majestic garden with views of Yatsushiro Sea and Unzen over the pine tree forest.
Stones have been freely arranged in the pond in the park and formations that resemble the stone settings of tsukiyama, or artificial hill gardens, and the scenery of Amanohashidate at the Katsura Imperial Villa, named after the famous sand bridge in northern Kyoto Prefecture, have created a varied flavor as a daimyo’s garden.
Shōhin-ken has been designated as a scenic spot in Japan and is a valuable piece of history as a daimyo garden from the early Edo period, with a design that incorporates the majestic ocean and far-reaching scenery.
Approximately 5,000 Higo irises come into full bloom in early June, delighting people’s eyes.
There is also an archive museum on Bunko Matsui that exhibits heirlooms passed on by the Matsui family, as well as the hanging scroll of “Battle” and hand-carved wooden swords connected with Musashi Miyamoto.
