The Moroto Garden

This nationally designated Place of Scenic Beauty is a residential garden in Kuwana, Mie Prefecture. The garden was originally created during the Edo period as a retirement residence for Hikozaemon Yamada, a wealthy Kuwana merchant. In the Meiji period, it was acquired by businessman Seiroku Moroto I. He and his son Seita expanded and developed it over two generations into a Japanese garden that makes the most of its natural setting.

A highlight is the opportunity to explore two gardens created in different periods on a single visit. The Former Yamada Family Garden, which dates back to the Edo period, has an open layout with a teahouse beside the pond. By contrast, the Meiji-period pond garden in front of the main residence incorporates a tidal system known as shioiri, which causes the water level to rise and fall with the tides. Its elaborate scenery—including stone bridges, dry waterfall stone arrangements, and an artificial hill faced with blue stone—conveys the grand scale and aesthetic sensibility of a wealthy modern-era merchant.

The Moroto family residence is also worth noting. Six buildings, including the main residence, are designated as National Important Cultural Properties. Teahouses and other structures are scattered throughout the grounds, and viewing the garden through and around these buildings offers a closer sense of the residential culture of the period.

The garden opens to the public twice a year, in spring and fall. In spring, wisteria, azaleas, fresh greenery, and Japanese irises add color to the grounds. In fall, the foliage of Enkianthus and maple trees transforms the garden. As this distinguished garden is normally closed to the public, plan your visit during one of these seasonal openings.