Nanshuji Temple Garden

The Historical Background of Nanshuji Temple

To understand the garden, one must first understand the temple that surrounds it. Nanshuji was founded in 1557 by the warlord Miyoshi Nagayoshi, who at the time was arguably the most powerful figure in the Kinai region of central Japan. He commissioned the temple to honor the memory of his father, Miyoshi Motonaga, and invited the Zen master Dairin Sōtō to serve as the founding abbot.

Sakai in the late sixteenth century was no ordinary provincial town. It was a fiercely independent merchant city, governed by a council of wealthy townsmen, and the cultural epicenter of an emerging refined aesthetic that would crystallize as the Japanese tea ceremony. The merchants of Sakai had grown rich through international trade, and they channeled their wealth into Zen practice, poetry, and the new art of chanoyu. Nanshuji became a hub of this activity. Both Takeno Joō, who pioneered wabi-cha, and his celebrated disciple Sen no Rikyu, the towering figure of Japanese tea culture, are said to have trained at this temple.

The original Nanshuji was located further north, near the Shukuin district. In 1615, during the Summer Siege of Osaka, the entire complex was destroyed in the fires that swept through Sakai. The temple was rebuilt at its present location around 1617 to 1619 under the guidance of Takuan Sōhō, the renowned Zen monk who would later become a confidant of Tokugawa shoguns and remains famous today even through the pickling method that bears his name. The garden we admire today dates from this rebuilding.

Why Nanshuji Garden Was Designated a Place of Scenic Beauty

On March 29, 1983, the Japanese government formally designated Nanshuji Garden as a national Place of Scenic Beauty. This recognition was based on several distinct criteria that set the garden apart even within the rich tradition of Japanese karesansui design.

The first reason is its historical authenticity. The garden was constructed around 1619, immediately after the temple's reconstruction. Although it was partially modified during the Enpō era (1673 to 1681) when a Toshogu shrine was added to the temple grounds, and the surrounding buildings suffered significant damage in the air raids of 1945, the principal layout has been preserved with remarkable integrity.

The second reason is its aesthetic distinction. The garden's stone composition uses two contrasting materials: warm-toned Izumi sandstone, quarried locally, and dark, lustrous chlorite schist. This bold material pairing creates a visual dialogue rarely seen in karesansui gardens of comparable age. The waterfall arrangement at the back of the garden is rendered entirely through these stones, and although the overall expression has been described as somewhat rough-hewn, this very quality lends the garden a powerful, masculine grandeur.

The third reason is its embodiment of Momoyama-period design sensibility. Although physically built in the early Edo period, the garden's compositional logic, scale of stones, and dynamic spatial flow all preserve the bold artistic vocabulary of the late 16th century — the era of Sen no Rikyu and the great tea masters. Local tradition attributes the design to Furuta Oribe, the celebrated tea master and garden designer who studied under Rikyu, though documentary evidence is incomplete. Whether or not Oribe himself drew the plans, the garden clearly belongs to that lineage.

The Highlights of the Garden

Nanshuji Garden is a flat dry landscape laid out on the south side of the abbot's quarters. The viewer approaches it from the wooden veranda and looks out across a broad sea of white gravel that occupies most of the foreground. The composition reveals itself slowly.

Visitor Information

The temple welcomes visitors throughout the year. The grounds open at 9:00 in the morning and the last admission is at 16:00. Admission to the temple complex, which includes access to the garden, is 400 yen for adults, 300 yen for high school and junior high school students, and 200 yen for elementary school children. Volunteer guides are sometimes present at the entrance and may offer informal explanations of the temple's many features upon request.

The most convenient way to reach Nanshuji is by the Hankai Tramway, an old-fashioned streetcar line that runs from central Osaka to Sakai. Disembark at Goryomae Station and walk approximately five minutes east. From the JR or Nankai Sakai stations, local buses are available, though many visitors enjoy combining the trip with a streetcar ride for the period atmosphere it provides. A free parking lot is available for those arriving by car.

Visitors are asked to maintain a quiet, respectful demeanor inside the temple, as Nanshuji remains an active place of worship and meditation. Photography of the garden is generally permitted, but use of tripods and flash photography may be restricted in some areas. Plan to spend at least 40 to 60 minutes at the site to enjoy the garden, the Buddha hall, and the surrounding monuments without rushing.

Exploring the Surrounding Area

Sakai rewards travelers who slow down. Within a short distance of Nanshuji, several other significant cultural sites await. The Mozu Tombs, a UNESCO World Heritage Site that includes the colossal burial mound of Emperor Nintoku, lie just to the south and represent one of the largest tomb complexes in the world. The Sakai Plaza of Rikyu and Akiko offers further immersion in the city's tea culture heritage with exhibits on Sen no Rikyu and the modern poet Yosano Akiko, both natives of Sakai.

The Old Sakai Lighthouse, a wooden lighthouse built in 1877 that stands quietly on the historic waterfront, makes for an atmospheric afternoon stop. Daisen Park, surrounding the Mozu tomb complex, offers traditional Japanese gardens and the Sakai City Museum. For those interested in the city's tradition of Japanese knife and blade craft, several historic blade shops in the central district offer demonstrations and direct purchases. Sakai is also famous for traditional sweets and tea — try a bowl of matcha at one of the historic teahouses near the temple to complete a day immersed in Japanese aesthetics.