Unwind your heart in the bleeding autumn leaves. Getting lost in autumn at the Iizuka Residence 'Shukoen' in Kashiwazaki

--The last of the three great gardens of Kashiwazaki is a hidden gem.

Sho-un Sanso,Jo-kan-en and now, the final installment of our
autumn Kashiwazaki series (unofficial).

The one I'm introducing last is...

Iizuka Residence / Shukoen.

Actually, this is a surprisingly little-known
quiet, magnificent garden.

It has no website,
and information online is quite sparse.

That's exactly why
visiting it feels like a treasure hunt beyond your imagination...!

This time, I'll cover the basics like
'What kind of place is the Iizuka Residence?'
and 'What are the highlights?'

while adding a dash of humor,
in true Kireido style,
just for you.

What is the Iizuka Residence Shukoen?

A historic residence that the Iizuka family,
major landowners in Kashiwazaki City, have protected for generations.

It's a slightly modern building where you can feel
the atmosphere of the Meiji to Showa eras, but...

Believe it or not, it's also a place where Emperor Showa stayed!

During his national tour in October 1945,
this Iizuka Residence was used as an 'Anzaisho' (temporary imperial residence).

*An 'Anzaisho' is
a temporary residence where the Emperor stays
when he is away from the palace.

It is said that the Emperor, having viewed the garden at that time,
bestowed upon it the name 'Shukoen'.

How grateful we are!

In 1973, it was designated as a historic site of Kashiwazaki City
as 'Shukoen and the Anzaisho'.

The new guest wing and garden where the Emperor stayed
are still carefully preserved and open to the public today.

Kireido Certified [The 3 Musts of Iizuka Residence Shukoen!!!]

(*I made these up entirely on my own)

1. Savor the presence of the main house
2. Walk through the strolling garden
3. Receive the 'beauty' arranged there with your heart

The Iizuka Residence Shukoen has a charm
that is different from the other two gardens.

Highlights of the Iizuka Residence Shukoen garden

Passing through the gate that leads to the garden...

Rather than an explosion of autumn colors,
the leaves color the landscape as if they are slowly bleeding into it.

With every step you take, the silence deepens,
making you feel as if you have slipped back in time.

The garden is a 'strolling pond garden'.

It is a style where you walk around the pond,
and the real thrill is how the way the light hits and the composition of the scenery change.

Main highlights

• The beauty of the autumn leaves reflected in the pond

• Old stone bridges and stone lanterns

• Compositions where the scenery changes as you stroll

• The tranquility of the garden viewed from the building's veranda

The garden viewed from the bridge made of a single large rock
has such a balance that you can't help but get excited, thinking, 'Is this the ideal location?' ↓

If you have a camera,
you will be clicking the shutter forever.

By the way, on this day,
since it was the first day of the cafe,
it was very crowded even on a weekday.

When I asked a regular who visits every year,

That is what I heard.

A magnificent garden only exists because there are people who carefully protect it.
Thanks to them, every time I visit,

I can enjoy a moment that feels like a cleansing of the soul.

It feels like my daily stagnation has vanished,
and my heart has been reborn, sparkling!
(This is just my personal impression.)

The Iizuka Residence building is also amazing!

The Iizuka family supported the region as major landowners
and were active in the business and political worlds.

The 'New Guest Room Wing' located at the back of the main house is,
so to speak, a guest house for welcoming special visitors.

The attention to detail is simply incredible.

• High-quality materials such as Akita cedar and zelkova

• Rare four-sided straight-grain wood, of which only three pieces can be obtained from a single tree

and other high-quality materials were used extensively.

This is a special plaster wall where only the center is black
due to microorganisms. ↓

Apparently, it is quite difficult to reproduce this technique
today.

Since you can see various architectural beauties,
I think it is an irresistible space for architecture lovers.

And the garden viewed from the building is also the best.

The time woven by the quiet garden and this building is
so comfortable that
it makes you want to stand there forever.

The Iizuka Residence is recommended for people like this.

• Those who want to stroll quietly

• You want to enjoy it even if you aren't an expert on gardens

• You love taking photos

• You don't like crowds

• You love historic buildings

This is a place I highly recommend for people like that.

Actually,
I really want you to conquer the three great gardens of Kashiwazaki!

Kireido recommends them.

[Access & Basic Information]

Iizuka Residence Shukoen
Address: 5212-4 Shindo, Kashiwazaki City, Niigata Prefecture
Phone: 0257-20-7120
Open period: April 1st to November 30th (Closed in winter)
Opening hours: 9:00 - 17:00 (Last admission 16:30)
Closed: Every Monday (or the following day if Monday is a holiday)
Admission: Adults 430 yen, Elementary/Junior high students 210 yen
Parking: 15 spaces (free)

*There is no official website.
Please check the official Kashiwazaki City website for details.

Three Great Gardens Tour Trilogy [Complete]

Sho-un Sanso: I got lost in the autumn light.
Jokan-en: It was a moss garden I fell in love with for its silence.
Iizuka Residence: I savored the lingering beauty of the bleeding autumn leaves and the architecture.

All three have completely different charms,
and I think I'm falling in love with Kashiwazaki. Seriously. Haha.

I used to think gardens were a hobby only for those who understood them,
but I was wrong.

Even without knowledge,
there is always something you feel when you go there.

Comfort.
Stillness.
A moment that makes you want to stop and stay.

Autumn is especially beautiful,
but I think the real thrill of a garden
is that it has a different expression for each of the four seasons.

(However, the three great gardens featured here are closed for the winter from December…!) Oh well!

Please also check out the Niigata Tourism Association's official blog, Tabikichi.

Kireido also works as a writer for the Tourism Association ↓
Click here for the article on the Three Great Gardens tour.

That's all from Kireido.
Your 'likes' are my motivation (heart)