Many samurai mansions survive in Chiranfumoto, one of the regional headquarters of the Satsuma domain during the Edo period. Seven of the gardens of these mansions are designated as scenic spots for their exquisite design. These gardens were built mostly in the late eighteenth century. One of the seven is a pond garden and the rest are dry landscape gardens. Most of these exhibit the unusual technique of making an artificial hill, using large upright stones and focusing on a small stone pagoda, and similarities in this regard to Ryūkyūan or Chinese gardens have been pointed out. They are located in the city of Minamikyūshū, Kagoshima prefecture.
Japanese Garden Dictionary: A Glossary for Japanese Gardens and Their History
(C) 2010 by Ono Kenkichi and Walter Edwards. All rights reserved.
