A Dry Garden That Borrows Mount Ibuki
The Daitsuji Temple Ganzanken and Rantei Gardens (大通寺含山軒および蘭亭庭園, Daitsuji Ganzanken oyobi Rantei Teien) are two gardens at the Nagahama Betsuin Daitsuji of the Shinshu Otani school in Motohamacho, Nagahama City, Shiga Prefecture, which in 1934 were designated a Place of Scenic Beauty.
The designation text says their date is uncertain but they appear to be early Edo.
Daitsuji says the temple was founded in the early Edo period and is known locally with affection as Gobo-san.
The Ganzanken Garden
According to the designation text, the Ganzanken garden is a dry landscape garden with a waterless pond holding an island crossed by a stone bridge, with stepping stones. In the northeast corner, stones are set to suggest a dry waterfall.
Branches of pine, camellia, oak and Japanese privet are trained to open a line of sight across the centre of the garden, borrowing the view of Mount Ibuki. The text rates it an excellent dry garden.
Daitsuji describes the Ganzanken garden as borrowing Mount Ibuki, 1377 metres high, and worth seeing in every season.
The Rantei Garden
The designation text describes the Rantei garden as a pond with a stone bridge on a small plot. Stones are set around the pond, and near the southeast corner a standing stone, with a stone lantern, forms the focal point.
The main trees are pine, fragrant olive, privet and plum. The text says it should be preserved as the garden of the Rantei study hall.
Together the Daitsuji Temple Ganzanken and Rantei Gardens let visitors compare two contrasting approaches: one drawing in a distant mountain, the other building a focal point from pond and stone on a tight site.
Visiting the Gardens
According to Daitsuji, visiting hours are 10:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. (reception closes at 4:00 p.m.), and from 1 February to 20 December 2026 the temple opens from 9:00 a.m. Fees are cash only, and photography and filming indoors are not allowed.
The temple may close temporarily after heavy rain or snow. It is at 32-9 Motohamacho, Nagahama; telephone 0749-62-0054.
The gardens form the cultural properties of Daitsuji with the main hall, the great hall and the Ganzanken and Rantei. See the group page Daitsuji Temple (Nagahama Betsuin) for all four.
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Q&A
- When were the Daitsuji Temple Ganzanken and Rantei Gardens designated?
- They were designated a Place of Scenic Beauty on 28 December 1934.
- How is 含山軒 read?
- Ganzanken.
- What is special about the Ganzanken garden?
- It is a dry garden that uses trained branches to frame a borrowed view of Mount Ibuki.
- What is special about the Rantei garden?
- A small pond garden with a stone bridge, where a standing stone and lantern form the focal point.
- What are Daitsuji's visiting hours?
- 10:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. (reception to 4:00 p.m.), from 9:00 a.m. between 1 February and 20 December 2026.
Basic Information
| Name | Daitsuji Temple Ganzanken and Rantei Gardens (大通寺含山軒および蘭亭庭園) |
|---|---|
| Location | Motohamacho, Nagahama City, Shiga Prefecture |
| Designation | Place of Scenic Beauty |
| Year Designated | Designated 1934/12/28 (Showa 9) |
| Quantity | 2 gardens |
| Dimensions | Not recorded in the Agency for Cultural Affairs database |
| Owner | Not recorded in the Agency for Cultural Affairs database |
| Public Access | Open during Daitsuji visiting hours |
References
- Agency for Cultural Affairs Database: Daitsuji Ganzanken and Rantei Gardens (Japanese)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/401/1572
- Cultural Heritage Online: Daitsuji Ganzanken and Rantei Gardens (Japanese)
- https://online.bunka.go.jp/heritages/detail/161508
- Nagahama Betsuin Daitsuji: About the Temple (Japanese)
- https://www.daitsuji.or.jp/daitsuji/
Last verified: 2026.10.11
