[Yamagata Aritomo and His Gardens]

Yamagata Aritomo, a politician of the Meiji and Taisho eras who was also a man of culture, left behind three gardens: “Chinzanso” in Tokyo, “Murin-an” in Kyoto, and “Koki-an” in Odawara. Collectively, these are known as the “Yamagata Three Gardens.”

Yamagata Aritomo, a military officer and politician from Hagi, Yamaguchi Prefecture, became one of the supreme leaders of the Meiji government alongside Ito Hirobumi, serving as Minister of Home Affairs, President of the Privy Council, and Prime Minister. Though regarded as the progenitor of the Japanese military clique and demonstrating considerable skill as a politician, he also cultivated an interest in waka poetry and held an extraordinary passion for garden design. The Yamagata Three Gardens are considered masterpieces of modern Japanese gardens. Chinzanso in Mejirodai served as his Tokyo residence, Murin-an was built as a villa, and he spent his later years at Koki-an. Later research suggests Yamagata's gardens recreated the topography of his hometown, Hagi, possibly reflecting his longing for his homeland.

Chinzanso was named after the land Yamagata purchased in 1878 (Meiji 11) for his main Tokyo residence, then known as “Tsubakiyama.” He personally directed the construction of the garden atop a hill, skillfully utilizing the undulating terrain spanning approximately 20,000 tsubo (about 1.5 times the size of the Tokyo Dome) to create a strolling landscape garden featuring woods and ponds. It is said that he invited influential figures from the political and financial circles of the time, including Emperor Meiji, to hold crucial meetings at Chinzanso that shaped national policy. Today, it is also well-known as a wedding venue. I recently visited for a friend's wedding and was overwhelmed by the vast, majestic garden views, hard to believe it's right in the heart of Tokyo.

Murin-an is a garden built in 1891 (Meiji 24) under the direction of Ogawa Jihei, overlooking the city of Kyoto to the west. It represents a shift from the symbolic gardens of its time, which likened ponds to seas and rocks to islands, to a new naturalistic garden philosophy. This new approach incorporated the Higashiyama mountains as a borrowed landscape, utilized water from the Lake Biwa Canal, and featured dynamic flows reminiscent of satoyama scenery and streams themselves. It was designated a National Scenic Spot in 1951 (Showa 26). The room used for the “Murin-an Conference,” where Yamagata Aritomo and others, including Ito Hirobumi, decided on the Russo-Japanese War, remains on the second floor of the Western-style building. Open year-round, visitors can enjoy a cup of matcha while gazing at the borrowed scenery, making it a recommended stop on a stroll through Okazaki.

Koki-an is a villa built by Yamagata in 1907 (Meiji 40) upon reaching his 70th birthday (Koki) in Itabashi, Odawara. The garden, designed under the direction of Tokyo landscape architect Iwamoto Shogoro, incorporates Sagami Bay and Mount Hakone as borrowed scenery. It features ingenious elements such as drawing natural water from Hakone, creating a reservoir at Kazamatsuri, and using water drawn from there to form a waterfall. It is considered a renowned garden embodying Yamagata's vision of garden design. Koki-an is now the Odawara Training Center of Aioi Nissay Dowa Insurance Company and is open to the public every Sunday.

Yamagata Aritomo, known as the “Father of the Imperial Army,” was also an exceptional landscape designer. I feel both admiration and gratitude that he cultivated such a rare aesthetic sensibility in that era, creating gardens that endure to this day. Having yet to visit Koki-an in Odawara, I hope to visit someday and, if possible, complete my tour of the Yamagata Three Gardens.

Murin-an
https://maps.app.goo.gl/gFeG3Es5M2LxNP3d6
Hotel Chinzanso Tokyo
https://maps.app.goo.gl/oS4AQMGg6JeX8qWp9
Koki-an (Site of Duke Yamagata Aritomo's Villa)
https://maps.app.goo.gl/HCPNLsVZfUc91yoT8
Yamagata Aritomo Memorial Museum *Relocated Western-style building designed by Ito Chuta, originally built within Koki-an
https://maps.app.goo.gl/zaFGRMKTp46XiMTa9
Showroom Information
https://www.shokunin.com/en/showroom/

References
https://murin-an.jp/about/
https://hotel-Chinzanso-tokyo.jp/garden/history/
https://www.general-yamagata-foundation.or.jp/garden.html