Nanshoso Garden

Nanshōsō Garden — A Hidden Meiji-Era Treasure of Morioka

Tucked away in a quiet residential corner of Morioka City, Iwate Prefecture, Nanshōsō Garden (南昌荘庭園) offers travelers a serene encounter with the refined elegance of late nineteenth-century Japan. Created in 1885 as the private estate of a self-made industrialist, this pond-stroll garden has been carefully preserved across more than 130 years, surviving repeated changes of ownership and even a brush with demolition. Today it stands as one of Iwate's finest historic gardens, registered by the national government as a Cultural Monument and protected by the City of Morioka.

Visitors who step through its gate find a hushed world of mossy stones, gnarled pines, two glinting ponds, and a lovingly maintained wooden mansion whose elevated viewing room frames the garden like a living painting. For travelers seeking an authentic, off-the-beaten-track experience in northern Japan, Nanshōsō is a destination that rewards every minute spent within its walls.

Historical Background

The story of Nanshōsō begins in 1885 (Meiji 18), when the Morioka-born entrepreneur Segawa Yasugorō (1835–1911) commissioned the residence as his private home. Segawa rose from a moneychanger family of the Morioka domain to become a silk merchant and, from 1876, the operator of the Arakawa Mine in neighboring Akita Prefecture. Under his management the mine grew into one of the five largest copper producers in Japan, earning Segawa the nickname "Mining King of Michinoku." The garden was completed by 1887 by local Morioka gardeners, traditionally identified as Abe Jintarō and Kawame Suematsu.

After Segawa's era the estate passed through the hands of several distinguished owners. In 1907 it was acquired by Ōya Umatarō, the fifth mayor of Morioka. During his ownership, the future "Commoner Prime Minister" Hara Takashi and his wife are said to have stayed at the residence for a full month, and the elder statesman Itō Hirobumi visited together with Korean Crown Prince Yi Un to host a garden party. In 1910 the estate was bought by Kindaichi Katsusada, head of Morioka Bank and patriarch of the Kindaichi financial group, who carried out the expansions still visible today. The kimono wholesaler Akazawa Tahei later became the owner, and it was during his tenure that the calligrapher and local historian Nitobe Sengaku bestowed the poetic name "Nanshōsō."

By the late 1980s the property faced demolition by a major condominium developer. In 1987 the Morioka Citizens' Cooperative (now Iwate Co-op) stepped in to purchase the estate as a shared cultural asset for its members. After years of careful stewardship, the doors of Nanshōsō were opened to the general public on April 29, 2000.

Why Nanshōsō Garden Earned National Recognition

On January 26, 2015, the garden was registered by the Agency for Cultural Affairs as a Nationally Registered Monument in the category of Places of Scenic Beauty. The reasons given are striking in their precision.

The garden ingeniously incorporates the natural slope of the river terrace on the left bank of the Kitakami River, descending gently from the main house toward the southeast where the principal pond spreads out. Within the residence, a mid-second-floor room called the "Nanshō-no-Ma" was deliberately positioned to provide a sweeping overhead view of the entire garden — a design that places equal emphasis on seated, contemplative appreciation as on walking the stroll path. A teahouse named Yūsen is integrated into the path beside the western pond, and a magnificent Takasago pine, already depicted in the 1894 "Morioka City Topographical Map," still stands on the level ground in front of the main hall.

Although the residence was extended in the late Meiji and early Shōwa periods, the original spatial composition recorded in the 1894 map remains remarkably intact. Authorities valued the garden as a precious example demonstrating two coexisting modes of appreciation — pond-stroll and seated viewing — and acknowledged its continuing role in nurturing Morioka's gardening culture, a legacy that extends from the late nineteenth century to the present day.

Highlights and What to Look For

The Nanshō-no-Ma Viewing Room

The undisputed centerpiece of any visit is the Nanshō-no-Ma, a tatami-floored room raised on a high foundation in the main house. From its low cushions, visitors look out over the garden through a wide row of shoji and glass panels that act as a natural picture frame. The room takes on a different mood with each season — fresh green in spring, deep emerald in summer, blazing crimson in autumn, and snowy stillness in winter — yet always rewards the slow, seated style of contemplation traditionally associated with Japanese aesthetics.

The Two Ponds and Stroll Path

The garden features two interconnected ponds, east and west, joined by a small arched stone bridge. A meandering path encircles them, allowing visitors to enjoy ever-changing perspectives of the carefully arranged stones, water plants, and pines. The slightly elevated viewpoint from the main house is intentional, lending a feeling of looking down upon a miniature landscape painting.

The Yūsen Teahouse

Nestled along the path beside the western pond, the small teahouse called "Yūsen" (Hidden Spring) provides a glimpse into the refined culture of the wealthy Meiji households. Its presence transforms a simple walk into a journey through different aesthetic spaces.

The "Floor Greenery" and "Floor Maple" Effects

Nanshōsō is famous for two phenomena prized by Japanese garden enthusiasts: yuka-midori, in which the garden's lush green leaves are reflected on the polished wooden floors of the verandas in summer, and yuka-momiji, the equally striking reflection of crimson maple leaves in late autumn. These mirror-like effects appear unannounced in certain rooms and are best enjoyed unhurried, with a cup of green tea.

Autumn Illumination

For a few precious days each November, the garden is opened in the evening for a special light-up event. Spotlights placed among the iroha-momiji and yama-momiji maples set the foliage aglow, while the polished floors of the residence catch the colors as luminous reflections — a scene that has drawn returning visitors year after year.

Visitor Information

Nanshōsō is open to the public year-round except on closure days, with seasonally adjusted hours. Inside the residence, visitors may also order matcha or coffee for a modest fee and linger in the tatami rooms, an experience that is highly recommended after walking the garden path.

• Summer hours (April 1 – November 30): 10:00 – 17:00
• Winter hours (December 1 – March 31): 10:00 – 16:00
• Closed: Mondays and Tuesdays; year-end and New Year holidays (around December 26 – January 10). When a Monday falls on a national holiday, the facility remains open.
• Admission: 400 yen for adults, 200 yen for elementary and junior high school students. Group discounts apply for parties of ten or more. Cash only.

From JR Morioka Station, the easiest route is by bus from Bus Terminal Stop No. 12, taking the Suidōbashi-bound service and alighting at Shimo-no-Hashi-chō, followed by a five-minute walk. Travelers who prefer to walk can reach the garden in roughly twenty minutes from the station. Drivers can reach the site in about fifteen minutes from the Morioka Interchange of the Tōhoku Expressway. There are ten parking spaces in front of the building; on busy days, paid lots in the surrounding area are recommended.

Surrounding Attractions

Nanshōsō sits within walking distance of many of central Morioka's most beloved historic spots, making it easy to combine your visit with a leisurely stroll through the old castle town.

Morioka Castle Ruins Park (Iwate Park)

About a fifteen-minute walk from Nanshōsō, this nationally designated historic site preserves the imposing granite stone walls of the seventeenth-century castle of the Nanbu clan. Selected as one of Japan's Top 100 Castles, it is also a celebrated cherry blossom and autumn foliage spot, with literary monuments dedicated to native poets such as Ishikawa Takuboku and Miyazawa Kenji.

Iwate Bank Red Brick Building

Designed by Tatsuno Kingo, the architect of Tokyo Station, this elegant red-brick bank dating from 1911 stands proudly in the Nakanohashi neighborhood. Its former banking hall is now open to the public, offering a fine glimpse of Meiji-era Western-style architecture.

Kon'yachō District

Crossing the Nakatsugawa River from the castle ruins brings you to Kon'yachō, a quiet street lined with Edo and Meiji-era merchant houses, the Taishō-era Kon'yachō Banya fire station, and traditional shops selling Nanbu ironware and senbei rice crackers. It is one of the most evocative places in Morioka for travelers wishing to imagine the city's days as a castle town.

The Bridges of the Nakatsugawa

The Kami-no-Hashi and Naka-no-Hashi bridges retain their characteristic giboshi finials from the Edo period. The clear stream below is famously home to salmon that swim upriver each autumn, just steps from the bustle of central Morioka.