13/5/2014

Nakatsu Bansho-En Garden, Marugame

A charming traditional garden and galleries

Por Peter Sidell

Community writer

Striking bridges connect the eight islands on the miniature lake

The entrance from the main road to the garden

The Gallery of Ceramics has ancient Iranian earthenware, pottery, glassware, and Chinese porcelain

The trees and bushes are carefully tended, the rocks artfully placed

It's fun to cross the lake by these stepping stones

The lake gives the garden a very relaxed atmosphere

A bus ride or longish walk from Marugame station, Nakatsu Bansho-En is a peaceful traditional garden, with over 1500 dwarf pine trees and hundreds of other plants and trees, giving it the air of a fantasy castle park. It's designed around a miniature lake criss-crossed by bridges and stepping-stones connecting its eight small islands; on a better day than I had, I imagine these will be reflected beautifully in the water of the lake. The ¥1000 admission fee also includes the Gallery of Ceramics, with ancient pottery, glassware and statues, and the Marugame Gallery, with classical European paintings by artists such as Jean-Francois Millet and Theodore Rousseau.