Shukkeien Garden: Oasis in Hiroshima City

Located in the middle of Hiroshima City, Shukkeien Garden is a historic Japanese garden situated near the Hiroshima Prefectural Art Museum. The name Shukkeien means “reduced landscape” in Japanese, referring to the collection and condensation of scenic beauty from various regions. It is said to be a condensed version of China’s Xi or West Lake in Hangzhou.

History of Shukkeien Garden

Shukkeien Garden dates back to 1620 when it was built by the daimyo of Hiroshima, Asano Nagaakira, as a second residence. At the time, this area (like much of modern-day Hiroshima) was an empty sandbar in the Hiroshima Delta of the Ota River. The river was dammed, creating the northern outer moat of Hiroshima Castle and joining sandbars to form islands.

During its heyday, it served as a garden and place for tea ceremonies. In 1713, the fifth feudal lord, Asano Yoshinaga, elegantly named the mountains, ponds, buildings, bridges, and islands in Shukkeien Garden. The garden’s name probably also comes from around this period, although it was called “Sentei” (泉邸, meaning “fountain residence”) until the end of the Second World War.

During the Meiji Restoration (1868), the old feudal system was abandoned, and the old noble families had to give up their strongholds. The Asano Clan relinquished control of Hiroshima Castle and moved into the villa in Shukkeien Garden. When the Imperial General Headquarters were relocated to Hiroshima in 1893, the Meiji Emperor stayed briefly at the villa.

Later, in 1940, the Asano family donated the grounds, including the villa and garden, to Hiroshima Prefecture. A few years later, it was almost entirely destroyed by the atomic bomb, but renovations completed in 1951 allowed it to reopen to the public.

Inside the Park

You enter Shukkeien Garden from the southern side of the garden and stroll around the many paths and walkways. In the centre is a pond called “Takuei-chi”, fed from nearby Kyobashi River. In the middle of the pond is called “Kankokyo Bridge”, dividing the pond in two. Kankokyo Bridge is listed as one of the 100 Great Bridges of Japan.

Small hills sit to the north, east and west of the pond, representing Mount Soka, Mount Futaba and Mount Misen. The main building, “Seifukan”, is located on the south side of the bridge and also features a tea house and a gazebo.

One of the garden’s features is its many trees—there are almost 5,000! Of these, three trees on the grounds survived the atomic bomb blast.

In the western part of the garden is a cherry tree grove with every variety of cherry blossoms that grows across Japan. This garden comes alive in the spring as the trees bloom and the sweet aroma permeates the air.

Getting to Shukkeien Garden

The garden is in the middle of the city, so it is easy to reach. You can walk from Hiroshima Station in about 10 minutes.

Several bus and tram lines also serve this area. You can use the Lemon, Green or Orange routes if you get off at the Hiroshima Mapurupu Prefectural Museum of Art (Shukkeien) bus stop. Alternatively, you can walk from the Shukkeien-mae Station on the Hiroshima Electric Railway’s Hakushima Line, which takes about 2 minutes.