Nabeshima Mansion Garden

 

The Nabeshima mansion was a high-ranking samurais residence and administrative outpost of the Nabeshima Clan who ruled what is now Saga during the Edo Period.

The mansion and surrounding district of samurai residences is located on the north side of the Shimbara Peninsula in Nagasaki.

The Nabeshima house and surrounding samurai district is a historical preservation district, though the Nabeshima mansion is the only property open to the public

When the mansion was built in the late 17th century it had a pond-type garden, but in the early 20th century the garden was renovated and the pond was removed and the garden turned into a dry, karesansui, stroll-type garden.

The steep slope is landscaped in quite, for my untrained eye, an unusual way.

The stepping stones also seem to be larger than usual....

I visited in mid-February so plums were in blossom, including a fine weeping plum shown in the first photo. I imagine that later when the azaleas are blooming would also be a good time to view the garden.

A path does lead up to the high ground where you can look down on the garden, mansion, and surrounding area and on clear days as far as Mount Unzen.

Remnants of the pond can still be seen.

The previous post in the series was on the Nabeshima Mansion itself and includes photos of the gardens in front of the property.