Kumamoto City, Kumamoto
Prefecture

About the Overseas Japanese
Garden Restoration Project
Background and Reasons for Deciding to2022, and with Kumamoto consequently being

Undertake the Project

selected for the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure,

There are many Japanese gardens located outside

Transport and Tourism’s Overseas Japanese Garden

Japan. Kumamoto-en (located within the San

Restoration Project, Kumamoto City decided toAntonio Botanical Garden) is a traditional Japanese-

undertake these two restorations in cooperationstyle garden that opened in San Antonio, Texas, USAwith the Kumamoto City Landscape Architecture and(hereinafter referred to as “San Antonio”) in 1989

Construction Industry Association.

after the two sister cities concluded an agreement.
Project Outline

Some 30 years have passed since the garden
opened, and although repair work has been carriedFirstly, with San Antonio’s Kumamoto-en, theout twice, the second time was 15 years ago, and theJapanese garden is enclosed with four kinds offacilities were aging.

bamboo fencing representative of Japan: katsura,Also, the late Noh actor Kano Shuho, who had

otsu, kennin-ji, and daimyo. Inside the garden are

resided in Kumamoto City, donated the only all-shin, gyo, and kusa nobedan pavement styles; as wellcypress Noh stage outside Japan to the city of Aix-en-

as three kinds of stone lanterns lighting the way

Provence, France (hereinafter referred to as “Aix”),

along the paths—oribe, mizubotaru, and sanko. In

which has exchange agreements with Kumamoto.

addition to double trout-shaped fountain-style

This Noh stage is located in the Saint-Mitre Park,chozubachi (water basins for rinsing the hands)

which is managed by the city, and a concept was born

showing respect for cleanliness, the garden also hasfor redeveloping the area surrounding the stage as aan azumaya pavilion.

traditional Japanese garden themed on theWith regard to greenery, consideration was given

landscape of Kumamoto City—Aix’s exchange city—

to trees and plants grown locally. Existing pine trees

with the aim of providing a space where park visitors

were utilised and trees/plants that could be procured

could experience a sense of serenity on a more daily

in the USA—including maple trees, bamboo,

basis as well as experience Japanese culture. (Thisbamboos shoots, and grass—were incorporated.

garden was later named “Kumamoto-en”).

Special stone materials such as stone lanterns,

Accordingly, these two cities requested Kumamoto,pavements, and tsukubai (wash basins); bamboo

their sister city/exchange city, to provide technicalprocessed materials, and wooden materials were

support for restoring these traditional Japanese

imported from Japan and installed.

gardens. With Japan’s largest festival of flowers andSome 15 years have passed since the previous

greenery, the “38th National Urban Greening Fair:

restoration work, and the azumaya pavilion, bamboo

KUMAMOTO GREEN VISION EXPO” (abbreviated tofences, and other structures have aged. On-site“KUMAMOTO FLOWER EXPO”) beginning in Marchsurveys were carried out in preparation for new1

restoration work, and with regard to the azumaya

ingenious elements. Construction began in February

pavilion, which had sustained particularly severe2020 and was completed in August 2021.

damage and was in danger of collapsing, emergency
measures were implemented, and the decision wasmade to urgently rebuild the structure. However,travelling between Japan and the USA was limited by
the worldwide spread of the COVID-19 pandemic,
and the timing of the restoration is currently being
rescheduled.

The traditional Japanese garden was completed inJuly 2021.
Project Features and Innovation
For many of the overseas Japanese garden
restoration projects carried out previously, materials
and equipment were brought into the country fromTechnical guidance on how to tie together aJapan and Japanese engineers carried out thebamboo fence (San Antonio, USA)

restoration work on-site.
Consequently, Japanese landscaping techniques

With regard to the Aix garden, the city employees

were not passed on to local engineers, with the result

actually in charge of the garden’s design came tothat many of the Japanese gardens were not

Kumamoto,

appropriately maintained and managed, ultimately

visitedMt.

Asoandnumerous

requiring restoration.

traditional Japanese gardens, and also experiencedFor

tea ceremony, bonseki (miniature landscapes ontheserestoration

projects,therefore,

black trays), and other aspects of traditional

materials suitable to the local climate were procured

Japanese culture. The inspiration they received fromlocally as much as possible. Implementing thisthese experiences was reflected in the Aix garden’s

method will enable local non-Japanese staff todesign.

maintain and manage the gardens appropriately
utilising materials and equipment with which theySpecifically, the garden’s design was based on acircuit-style

strolling

pondgarden

are familiar.

design,represented by Kumamoto’s Suizenji Garden. TheIn particular, Aix has a Mediterranean climate thatview of Aix’s symbol Mont Sainte-Victoire, which isis dry due to extremely low rainfall, and so it isvisible from the garden, was borrowed to represent

difficult to grow plants that are often used in

Kumamoto’s Mt. Aso, and within the garden artificialtraditional gardens in Japan—in some cases, in fact,

hills were modelled on the Kometsuka scoria cone,

there is a high possibility that the plants would

which is located within the Mt. Aso caldera.

wither and die.

Furthermore, the image of the Shirakawa River

For this reason, landscaping materials that could

winding its way through Kumamoto City to thebe obtained locally rather than trees brought in from

Ariake Sea has been incorporated into the garden,

Japan were considered, and adjustments such as

and the design also incorporates numerous otherincorporating many French plants with a Japanese2feel were implemented to make it easy to continually

It is anticipated that in the future, the Japanesemanage and maintain the garden through replanting

garden will be proactively utilised to not only enable

and other measures.

Aix residents vising the park to experience andbecome familiar with Japanese culture on a daily
basis,

Results of the Project

but

also

deepenFrenchpeople’sunderstanding of Japan and Kumamoto throughIn making these overseas trips, because the local

Japanese cultural experiences and events.

staff are carrying out daily garden maintenance andmanagement based on information obtained from

Furthermore, in the spring of 2022, Kumamotobooks and the internet, the Japanese engineers also

City will be hosting Japan’s largest festival of flowers

provided technical guidance.

and greenery, the “National Urban Greening Fair:
KUMAMOTO

Local workers were shown how to prune trees inGREEN

VISION

EXPO”,

andstyles appropriate for traditional Japanese gardens,

representatives of both San Antonio and Aix are

and with regard to repairing the bamboo fences, theparticipating as members of the fair’s organizing

workers were taught how to tie bamboo fences

committee. When the National Urban Greening Fair

together. Thus, the restorations provided goodis being held, information about not only theseopportunities for the Japanese landscape engineers

garden restoration projects but also the appeal ofto pass on their expertise and skills.

the cultures and music, etc., of France (Aix) and theUSA (San Antonio) will be disseminated, thereby
further expanding exchange with both cities andIssues and Responses

countries.

In order for traditional Japanese gardens
constructed overseas to also be maintained andmanaged appropriately after they have been built, it

Reference URLsis necessary for the non-Japanese engineers who will

https://kumaryokkafair.com/fascinations/be managing the gardens to understand how tomaintain and manage a traditional Japanese garden

Contactas well as carry on these methods.

Division in Charge: National Urban Greening Fair

Accordingly, for Kumamoto-en in San Antonio,

Promotion Office, Park Development andafter returning to Japan the Japanese engineers

Management Section, Public Works Department,

compiled a Japanese-English bilingual manual for

Urban Development and Construction Bureau,

maintaining the garden and created a video of tree

Kumamoto City

pruning methods. These resources are now sharedPhone: ＋81-(0)96-328-2525

by the two cities.

E-mail: ryokkafair@city.kumamoto.lg.jp

Future Developments (Anticipated Results,Key Terms

Outlook for the Project, Issues, etc.)
Completed in August 2021, Aix’s Kumamoto-en isbeing used for various programmes related to thedissemination of Japanese culture, such as using thegarden’s bamboo grove to introduce Japan’s
Tanabata festival during the unveiling ceremony thatwas held in France on 7th July (known as “Tanabata”
in Japan).
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