Mount Fuji at Suizenji Garden

Suizenji

It is believed that the earliest Japanese gardens, based on Chinese gardens, were representations of mythical and legendary landscapes that were Daoist ind later Buddhist in origin. The extremely common Crane or Turtle Islands being examples.

Later actual famous landscapes, usually again Chinese, that had been immortalized in poetry and painting were the inspiration. Later still came the idea of gardens representing actual jaoanese landscapes..

Suizenji Garden in Kumamoto is said to be based on the 53 stations of the Tokaido, the highway that connected Kyoto with Edo, and the most famous view along that route is of course Mount Fuji.

The garden was built for the tea-drinking pleasure of the Lords of the Kumamoto Domain and also has a Noh stage as well as several teahouses within the grounds.