Ritsurin Garden

Ritsurin Garden was developed over a century by successive lords of the Takamatsu Domain, beginning in the 1620s and reaching completion in 1745. The Matsudaira clan, relatives of the ruling Tokugawa shogunate, created this garden as a demonstration of their cultural sophistication, power, and appreciation for refined aesthetics. The result is a 750,000 square meter masterpiece combining six ponds, thirteen artificial hills, numerous tea houses, bridges, and over 1,000 meticulously pruned pine trees.

The garden's design employs the technique of 'borrowed scenery' (shakkei), incorporating Mount Shiun in the background as part of the composition. This creates the illusion of the garden extending infinitely into the mountain landscape. Each viewing point was carefully calculated to present different scenic combinations of water, vegetation, structures, and distant mountains. Walking the prescribed paths reveals constantly changing vistas, demonstrating the Edo-period mastery of dynamic landscape design.

Ritsurin has been designated a Special Place of Scenic Beauty, Japan's highest garden designation, alongside only a select few others including Kenrokuen and Korakuen. The garden is divided into the southern daimyo garden (Nantei) and the northern public garden area (Hokutei). The southern section contains the most refined and historically significant landscape designs, while the northern area features more open, relaxed grounds developed later for public enjoyment.

The garden has been maintained using traditional techniques for nearly 400 years, with specialized gardeners (uekishoku) inheriting knowledge across generations. Pine pruning follows ancient methods, creating the distinctive curved branches and precisely shaped crowns. The garden requires year-round care: spring brings cherry blossoms, summer offers lush green landscapes, autumn provides spectacular foliage around ponds, and winter features protective yukitsuri ropes on pines. Each season reveals different carefully planned aesthetics, demonstrating the garden's sophisticated design that rewards repeated visits throughout the year.