Yokokan Gardens And Experiencing Serenity

Yokokan Garden is a Japanese garden in Fukui prefecture that used to be a mansion and moon-veiwing spot for the Matsudaira Clan. I took this video in the summer and you can see great examples of the Tsukiyama style gardens (artificial hills, reproduced famous landscapes) and the relationship between man, nature, and the imagination. The background shakuhachi music is from my CD "Mahoroba".

I talked extensively with the main gardener of Yokokan and he gave me a lot of information about the area. He is also the main tour guide and speaks great English so if you have the chance to visit there he will definitely help you out. He said that the Tsukiyama style hill was designed to represent Mt. Fuji and that there was a great balance between the pond, the hill, and the rocks.

Yokokan gardens are just North of the Fukui Castle Ruins in downtown Fukui and are easily accessible from the station. This is my wife Satomi's hometown but this was the first time we had ever visited there. It was quite hot and the mosquitoes were out, but it was still a serene place. If anyone is in the area I highly recommend visiting here.

True to most Japanese garden design, visiting in any season will provide you with a different atmosphere each time with the variety of seasonal flowers and shrubs. I hope you could relax and enjoy the video as well as possibly get some ideas for you own serene garden.