Momijiyama Garden
Famous landmarks of Suruga province (now part of Shizuoka Prefecture) are re-created in miniature inside Momijiyama Garden. The paths in the garden are designed to provide views that evoke four distinct landscapes: a village, the sea, a mountain hamlet, and a mountain path.
The wooden pavilion just beyond the entrance gate suggests a village scene. The pavilion looks out over the pond, and the zig-zag bridge that cuts through a stand of iris recalls scenes from the ninth-century literary collection The Tales of Ise.
The pond represents the sea, and the rocks in the water and along the bank evoke the iconic coastal landscapes of the Izu Peninsula. For example, the white stones across from the pavilion suggest the curving, pine-tree-lined coast of Miho no Matsubara. A miniature Mt. Fuji on the other side of the pond echoes the view of the actual mountain from Miho no Matsubara.
The path through the mountain garden area pass by two waterfalls. One has a sheer drop and the other a gentle cascade; both are framed by maple trees and ivy. Aoi wild ginger (Asarum caulescens), which appears on the Tokugawa family crest, also grows near the falls.
A teahouse within the garden serves tea and sweets in the ryurei style, using tables and chairs instead of floor seating on tatami mats. In addition, the Unkai and Seigetsu-an tea houses are open for public viewing when not being used for private events.
The garden was built in 2001 on the location of the former castle’s kitchen.