Our garden
We planted moss and placed pebbles in the garden to harmonize with the three historical buildings, and also to utilize the characteristics of red pine trees, cherry blossoms and maple trees. We use both natural and artificial moss and each hill shows you its own characteristics. In contrast, the garden seen from ‘washitsu’, a Japanese-style room, at Taishoan is a stone garden similar to the one at Ryoan-ji in Kyoto. In the middle of the garden, a historic stone, ‘Furuderaishi’, which was quarried from the Ijimino area, Shibata, is placed. Also, pebbles from the Kaji river are laid around it. The garden is not normally open to the public except for 24th October. We hold a Buddhist memorial ceremony for the Kannon bosatsu statue which was relocated to Shiunkaku on that day.

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AMushatei

About

It was originally located in the Sannomaru area and was used as a second residence for the Musha family. Later, it was moved to its current location. Two different types of roof are used; ‘Yosemune-zukuri’, a hip roof, for the one-storey section, and ‘Irimoya-zukuri’, the East Asian hip-and-gable roof, for the two-storey extension. It is recognised as a registered tangible cultural property.

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The ground floor; the sliding door between two ‘washitsu’ is open to create more space.

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‘The ‘washitsu’ of the one-storey section adopts ‘shoin-zukuri’, a style of Japanese residential architecture. It is said that only special people were allowed to enter the room.

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The corridor; the view of the garden is stunning.

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The ceiling, including the raised section, is coated with plaster. A crown moulding is used at the connecting part between the ceiling and the wall.

BTaishoan

About

It has always stood in its current location. It is a one-storey house with Japanese roof tiles and ‘Yosemune-zukuri’ is used in its design. These ‘washitsu’ are surrounded by a corridor and you will enjoy the view of the prominent garden of Shibata. It is recognised as a registered tangible cultural property.

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The garden seen from the ‘washitsu’ is a stone garden similar to the one at Ryoan-ji in Kyoto. In the middle of the garden, a historic stone, ‘Furuderaishi’ is placed and pebbles from the Kaji river are laid around it.

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On the hanging partition wall, there is a diamond-shaped transom which reminds you of ‘Gokaibishi’, the emblem of Shibata city.

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The roof construction method, ‘hanegi’ is used for the roof of corridor.

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The second residence of Murayama family which has been inherited with the pine garden, was refurbished.

CShiunkaku

About

It is a two-storey wooden building and ‘rōkaku structure’, a multi-storeyed architecture, is used. ‘Katōmado’, bell-shaped windows, are impressive. It is said that Ginkaku-ji was modelled on its style. The style of roof is ‘hōgyō-zukuri’, a tented roof, and it is finished with Japanese tiles. It is recognised as a designated cultural property of Shibata city.

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The style of ‘shoin-zukuri’ is adopted on the ground floor. 60 paintings are placed on the coffered ceiling of the second floor.

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The upper frame of the window is a fire-shaped ‘Katōmado’. It came from China as a building structure of Zen Buddhism and used for temples and ‘Shoin-zukuri’.