Yugayama-enchi Garden

In one corner of Takabatake-cho, the old, nice and quiet residential area in Nara Park,

there used to be Nanto villa of Kichirobe Yamaguchi, successive presidents of 

Yamaguchi financial group of Osaka, from Meiji to Taisho periods (1868-1926).

It had long been abandoned until Nara Prefecture decided to utilize the historical,

 cultural asset to promote tourism.  

After the restoration work, it was open to the public in 2020 as Yugayama garden. 

It is located right across from the south side of Sagiike Pond.  

 Any tourists can enter the garden free of charge from the gate with deer-proof door. 

I was in the garden about a month ago before walking along the Sagi-ike Pond.

The pond is shown in the mid-February post, Wading birds and deer at Sagi-ike Pond.

There are a teahouse with an authentic ceremonial tearoom, a luxurious resort hotel

  Fufu Nara and its restaurant Tekisui in the 1.3-hectare strolling-style garden with a bamboo grove.

The first architecture you see after entering is a sukiya-style teahouse.

The next image is the west side of a restaurant "Tekisui".

The architectures are made with Nara’s historical "yamatobari" (overlapping wood panels) 

using Yoshino cedars from Yoshino forestry, a strong timber with closely packed rings.

Dark brown timbers and green lawn would be contrasting each other beautifully in other seasons.

This is a view opposite from the restaurant.  

Shall we go up the steps?

Ascending under the bamboo foliage, you see the hotel behind the bamboo grove.

The bamboo trees are like natural blinds for the privacy of the hotel customers

from the eyes of garden visitors strolling around freely.

Looking down, the restaurant is seen through the bamboo trees.

There is a path along the hedge made of bamboo which divides the upper and lower grounds.

This is thought to be from the Kamakura period (1192-1333).

This path leads to a tea-ceremony room at the backside of the teahouse 

which you saw on entering.

A lovely little gate to a small tea-ceremony room.

Though it was open, the tea-ceremony room was closed unfortunately.

In the late afternoon light of winter, I enjoyed my solitary walk

 monopolizing the garden almost all to myself.

Some meters eastward along the wall, there is an entrance to hotel and restaurant.

I look forward to having lunch or tea someday soon.

While the landscape has been brightening up from pale wintry colors,

 Ume (Prunus mume) blossoms were going to be over last week.

Ume blossoms

The first bloom of Sakura blossoms was officially announced yesterday in Tokyo.

It will be in a week or so here in Nara.

Linked to Mosaic Monday