Japan Guide
Kyūshū
Suizenji-jojuen
It pays to visit Suizenji-jojuen early, before crowds arrive. In any case, the garden is at its best with an early-morning mist over the crystal-clear, spring-fed lake, its surface broken by jumping minnows or the darting beak of a heron. Plump, multicoloured carp laze under willow-pattern bridges, while staff sweep the gravel paths or snip back an errant pine tuft. Considered to be one of Japan's most beautiful stroll-gardens, Suizenji-jojuen was created over eighty years, starting in 1632, by three successive Hosokawa lords. The temple from which the garden took its name is long gone, but the immaculate, undulating landscape, dotted with artfully placed shrubs and trees, has survived. The design supposedly mimics scenes on the road between Tokyo and Kyoto, known as the "53 stations of the Tōkaidō" – the ones you're most likely to recognize are Fuji and Lake Biwa.
Considering Suizenji's prestige, it's surprising to find the garden cluttered with souvenir stalls, and it's also quite small, taking only thirty minutes to walk round. On the way, you'll pass the Izumi shrine, dedicated to the Hosokawa lords, and a four-hundred-year-old teahouse (March– Nov 9am–5.30pm; Dec– Feb 9am–5pm) overlooking the lake. If it's not too early, you can drink a cup of green tea on the benches outside (¥500) or in the tea ceremony room (¥600), while admiring one of the best views of the garden; the price includes an izayoi, a white, moon-shaped cake made using egg white. Opening time: Daily: March– Nov 7.30am–6pm; Dec– Feb 8am–5.30pmPrice: ¥400 
www.suizenji.or.jp