This traditional Japanese garden is the perfect place to enjoy Japan’s natural beauty as it changes with the seasons!
At the center of Daikonshima Island in Matsue's brackish Nakaumi Lake (中海), Yuushien Garden is a little green oasis in a big city that has long been at the heart of local politics and intrigue. But while samurais have been making tracks through Matsue for centuries on end, Yuushien Garden has grown into a popular destination in the space of just 50 or so years, since its establishment in 1970. The traditional layout, green trees, and famous flowers make it a must-see spot in Matsue for anyone who enjoys a stroll through a beautiful garden.
Just across the water from the internet-famous Rollercoaster Bridge, Yuushien is spread out over a spacious 40,000m² (430556ft²), with paths that take you around, through, and over the pond that makes a focal point throughout this "circuit style" garden. The gardeners at Yuushien say that each of the little enclaves dotted around the grounds is an inspired reimagining meant to represent one of the many landscapes of nearby Izumo, famed for natural beauty, fantastic sunsets, and legends of the Japanese gods.
The changing of the seasons and the ephemeral beauty that goes with it is a vital part of Japanese culture, and Yuushien is known for the new delights that appear in the garden as the days pass and the weather starts to shift. In spring, the garden's peonies are the stars of the show, and visitors arrive from near and far to see the peonies floating in huge, colorful clusters atop the water of the garden pond. The peonies are so famous, though, that the garden makes it possible to enjoy them in one way or another throughout the year―outside of peony season, the dramatic flowers are grown indoors in a dedicated room.
In the heat of the summer, when the peonies start to wilt and the verdant green of the garden's trees grows vibrant, Yuushien starts to periodically flood the garden with streams of cloudy fog, which shoot out over the pond and throughout the tree-lined pathways. This mist cools the air, but it also adds a beautiful and mysterious glow to the garden, particularly with beams of sunlight cut through the shade, and seem to be held in the air by the tiny droplets of water.
At the other end of the spectrum, cold weather marks the beginning of Yuushien's illumination event, when the garden stays open late after sunset, and colorful lights brighten the dark paths.
A rainbow of lights shine up into the branches of the trees, and down into the water of the pond, adding a little magic to each chilly night, and the gardeners work carefully with light artists to set up spectacular light sculptures like this twinkling Mount Fuji.
A trip around the garden follows a circuit that finally leads to a building with an exhibition on Yuushien's ginseng (did you know Daikonshima Island is famous for the stuff?), and the garden's chic cafe. Each of the spacious seats looks out onto a fantastic view of the pond and the garden beyond, making it an ideal place to sit down with a cup of tea or coffee and relax after wandering through the meandering paths.
And of course, during the winter illumination, a nighttime visit to the cafe is extra magical!
Yuushien Garden (由志園)
1260-2 Yatsukacho Hanyu, Matsue, Shimane
Admission: adults 800 yen / children 400 yen*
Hours: 9:00 – 17:00*
*Hours and admission prices subject to change throughout the year.
Official Website (en)
For more info and updates from Japan, check Japankuru for new articles, and don't forget to follow us on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook!
Details
NAME:Yuushien Garden (由志園)
PROFILE
Follow us @Japankuru on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter!
COMMENT
FEATURED MEDIA
VIEW MORE・The new Tokyo flagship for Volcom Japan is a center for all things skateboarding, street fashion, art, and culture, all in the heart of Shibuya! ・Volcom日本旗艦店東京澀谷登場 本格派滑板街頭潮流藝文新據點 #Volcom #japankuru #shibuya #日本購物 #日本潮流 #日本街頭時尚 #澀谷 #東京購物 #東京購物推薦 #東京潮店 #澀谷潮店 #滑板 #雪板 #衝浪 #볼컴 #시부야
Which snacks make the best Japanese souvenirs?~ Jaga Pirika ~ 일본과자 선물 뭐하지?~자가피리카 편~ #pr #calbee #jagapokkuru #japanesesnacks #japanesefood #japanesesouvenir #japantravel #japantrip #naritaairport #hokkaido #나리타국제공항 #일본여행선물 #흔하지않은기념품 #일본쇼핑리스트 #일본과자추천 #고구마과자 #일본간식추천 #일본면세점쇼핑 #개별포장 #일본감자칩 #도쿄나리타공항면세점 #현지인추천 #일본여행 #일본기념품리스트 #자가포쿠루 #자가피리카
Asakusa's Sanja Matsuri, one of the biggest festivals in all of Tokyo, is almost here! Make sure you check out the festival route so you don't miss all the festivities this May. #asakusa #sanjafestival #sanjamatsuri #asakusashrine #sensoji #sensojitemple #japanesefestival #shintoshrine #japaneseculture #tokyo #tokyotrip #tokyotravel #asakusasightseeing #matsuri #japantrip #japantravel #springinjapan #tokyotravel #japankuru #산자마츠리 #아사쿠사 #일본마츠리 #일본여행 #일본5월
Odaiba's DiverCity Tokyo Plaza is home to the famous real-size 20m-tall Unicorn Gundam, and the popular shopping center has even more Gundam on the inside! Check out the Gundam Base Tokyo on the 7th floor for shelves upon shelves of Gunpla, and the Gundam Base Tokyo Annex on the 2nd floor for cool anime merchandise. Both shops have tons of limited-edition items! #pr #odaiba #tokyo #tokyotrip #japantrip #japantravel #PR #divercity #divercitytokyoplaza #tokyoshopping #gundam #unicorngundam #gundambasetokyo #anime #otaku #gunpla #japankuru #오다이바 #다이바시티도쿄 #오다이바건담 #건담 #일본건담 #건프라 #건담베이스도쿄
Evangelion, in miniature!? Tokyo's SMALL WORLDS Miniature Museum is actually a must-see for anime lovers, thanks to the tiny Evangelion Hangar and Tokyo-III... plus a whole universe of other scenes both real and fictional. #smallworlds #smallworldstokyo #tokyotrip #tokyotravel #evangelion #eva #anime #miniature #miniatures #animefigure #japantrip #japantravel #에반게리온 #스몰월드 #에반겔리온 #スモールワールズ #오다이바 #아리아케
Have you sat down for a snack at Sumida Aquarium yet? This aquarium next to Tokyo Skytree is known for its penguins and garden eels, but we can't get enough of their cute snacks! There are lots of good seats around the aquarium, too, so it almost feels like one big cafe. 🐧 • Find out more at Japankuru.com! (Link in bio.) • #japankuru #sumidaaquarium #skytree #tokyoskytree #solamachi #sumida #tokyo #tokyotrip #tokyotravel #aquarium #japanesesweets #themecafe #すみだ水族館 #Japan #日本 #일본 #Japon #ญี่ปุ่น #Japão #япония #japantravel #日本旅行 #日本旅遊 #japan_of_insta #japantrip #traveljapan #japan🇯🇵 #igerstokyo #explorejapan
For anime fans, the Evangelion areas at Small Worlds Miniature Museum are a must see! The tiny miniature people in the Evangelion Hangar look like ants beneath the moving Unit-01, Unit-00, and Unit-02! And over in Tokyo-III, characters like Shinji, Rei, and Katsuragi live life on a miniature scale. #odaiba #tokyo #tokyotrip #japantrip #japantravel #ariake #smallworlds #miniaturemuseum #smallworldstokyo #tokyotravel #evangelion #eva #anime #miniature #miniatures #animefigure #japankuru #스몰월드 #에반게리온 #오다이바 #오다이바관광 #오다이바스몰월드 #미니어쳐