
The
gardens
A garden is a planned space, usually outdoors, set aside for the cultivation, display, and enjoyment of plants and other forms of nature. The single feature identifying even the wildest wild garden is ''control''. The garden can incorporate bot ...
of are located on a small hill to the south of
Shuri Castle
was a Ryukyuan '' gusuku'' castle in Shuri, Okinawa Prefecture, Japan. Between 1429 and 1879, it was the palace of the Ryukyu Kingdom, before becoming largely neglected. In 1945, during the Battle of Okinawa, it was almost completely destroye ...
in
Naha, Okinawa
is the capital city of Okinawa Prefecture, the southernmost prefecture of Japan. As of 1 June 2019, the city has an estimated population of 317,405 and a population density of 7,939 persons per km2 (20,562 persons per sq. mi.). The total area i ...
. The residence and its gardens are also known as or , as opposed to the or , laid out on a small hill east of Shuri Castle in 1677.
In 1992
Hiroshi Shō, the great-grandson of
Shō Tai
was the last king of the Ryukyu Kingdom (8 June 1848 – 10 October 1872) and the head of the Ryukyu Domain (10 October 1872 – 27 March 1879). His reign saw greatly increased interactions with travelers from abroad, particularly from Europe ...
, the last king of the
Ryūkyū Kingdom
The Ryukyu Kingdom, Middle Chinese: , , Classical Chinese: (), Historical English names: ''Lew Chew'', ''Lewchew'', ''Luchu'', and ''Loochoo'', Historical French name: ''Liou-tchou'', Historical Dutch name: ''Lioe-kioe'' was a kingdom in the ...
, donated the royal mausoleum of
Tamaudun
is one of the three royal mausoleums of the Ryukyu Kingdom, along with Urasoe yōdore at Urasoe Castle and Izena Tamaudun near Izena Castle in Izena, Okinawa. The mausoleum is located in Shuri, Okinawa, and was built for Ryūkyūan royalty in ...
and Shikina-en to the City of
Naha
is the capital city of Okinawa Prefecture, the southernmost prefecture of Japan. As of 1 June 2019, the city has an estimated population of 317,405 and a population density of 7,939 persons per km2 (20,562 persons per sq. mi.). The total area i ...
.
Design
The
stroll garden features a pond with two small islands; a Chinese-style hexagonal pavilion; other pavilions with red tiles, the use of which was reserved for the upper classes; Chinese-style arched bridges; and seasonal plantings of
plum
A plum is a fruit of some species in ''Prunus'' subg. ''Prunus'.'' Dried plums are called prunes.
History
Plums may have been one of the first fruits domesticated by humans. Three of the most abundantly cultivated species are not found ...
,
wisteria
''Wisteria'' is a genus of flowering plants in the legume family, Fabaceae (Leguminosae), that includes ten species of woody twining vines that are native to China, Japan, Korea, Vietnam, Southern Canada, the Eastern United States, and nor ...
, and
bellflower.
This blend of Japanese and Chinese design and features has been acclaimed as "uniquely Ryukyuan" by
UNESCO
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) aimed at promoting world peace and security through international cooperation in education, arts, sciences and culture. I ...
and advisory body
ICOMOS
The International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS; french: links=no, Conseil international des monuments et des sites) is a professional association that works for the conservation and protection of cultural heritage places around the worl ...
.
History
The gardens were laid out in 1799 to embellish one of the residences of the
Shō family
Sho, Shō or SHO may refer to:
Music
* ''Shō'' (instrument) (笙), a Japanese wind instrument
* ''Kane'' (instrument) (鉦), a Japanese percussion instrument
* Sho?, a Dubai rock band
People
* Shō (given name), including ''Sho''
* Shō (surn ...
, rulers of the
Ryūkyū Kingdom
The Ryukyu Kingdom, Middle Chinese: , , Classical Chinese: (), Historical English names: ''Lew Chew'', ''Lewchew'', ''Luchu'', and ''Loochoo'', Historical French name: ''Liou-tchou'', Historical Dutch name: ''Lioe-kioe'' was a kingdom in the ...
; they were used for the reception of
an envoy from China the following year.
First designated for protection in 1941 in accordance with the
1919 Law, they were completely destroyed during the
Battle of Okinawa
The , codenamed Operation Iceberg, was a major battle of the Pacific War fought on the island of Okinawa by United States Army (USA) and United States Marine Corps (USMC) forces against the Imperial Japanese Army (IJA). The initial invasion of ...
.
Restoration began in 1975 and took around twenty years, at a cost of some eight hundred million yen.
In 1976 the gardens were once again
designated a
Place of Scenic Beauty
is a collective term used by the Japanese government's Law for the Protection of Cultural Properties to denote Cultural Properties of JapanIn this article, capitals indicate an official designation as opposed to a simple definition, e.g "Cultural ...
; in 2000 they were re-designated a
Special Place of Scenic Beauty and included within the inscription of the UNESCO World Heritage Site
Gusuku Sites and Related Properties of the Kingdom of Ryukyu
The is an UNESCO World Heritage Site which consists of nine sites all located in the Okinawa Prefecture, Japan. The heritage sites include two '' utaki'' (or sacred sites, one a gate and the other a grove), the Tamaudun mausoleum, one garden, a ...
.
The gardens stretch over an area of 4.2 ha and the UNESCO nomination includes a
buffer zone
A buffer zone is a neutral zonal area that lies between two or more bodies of land, usually pertaining to countries. Depending on the type of buffer zone, it may serve to separate regions or conjoin them.
Common types of buffer zones are demil ...
of a further 84.2 ha.
See also
*
List of Historic Sites of Japan (Okinawa)
This list is of the Monuments of Japan, Historic Sites of Japan located within the Prefectures of Japan, Prefecture of Okinawa Prefecture, Okinawa. Much of the heritage of the Ryūkyū Kingdom and Ryukyu Islands, Islands was destroyed during the ...
*
List of Important Cultural Properties of Japan (Okinawa: structures)
*
*
World Heritage Sites in Japan
Japan accepted the UNESCO World Heritage Convention on 30 June 1992. As of July 2021, twenty-five properties have been inscribed on the World Heritage List: twenty cultural sites and five natural sites. A further five sites and one site extens ...
*
Fukushūen
is a traditional Chinese garden in the Kume area of Naha, Okinawa.
The garden was constructed in 1992, in celebration of the 10th anniversary of the establishment of the sister city relationship between Naha and Fuzhou in China. The Kume neig ...
References
Bibliography
*
External links
Introduction to Shikina-enGusuku Sites and Related Properties of the Kingdom of Ryukyu*
*
Pamphlet with plan of the gardens
{{Authority control
Gardens in Okinawa Prefecture
Special Places of Scenic Beauty
World Heritage Sites in Japan
Buildings and structures in Japan destroyed during World War II