Yamaguchi:  I believe Teikanen is the most beautiful garden I have ever known. I was so struck by it on my first visit that I returned three times on my own until today.

Kumoni:  When I went to see it in person, I felt the difference in atmosphere the moment I parked my car. Ideally, you have to climb the stone-paved steps straight up to the entrance, but this time I went up the paved road on the side. Among the encounters I had when walking there, I passed a lady who was walking her Maltese, and then suddenly I was greeted by a tree sticking out.

Yamaguchi:  You come out of the green tunnel into another world. It is naturally covered by greenery as it is in the mountains, but it is quite obvious even as an outsider that the garden has been well-maintained. Most gardens separate the inside from the outside, concealing the inside of the premises. However, Teikanen is so close to daily life that you pass people walking their dogs, or in fact, completely connected where the atmosphere of the highly refined gardens seeps out.

Yamaguchi:  I used to think it was just pretty, but now that I am creating gardens myself, I can see how much work has gone into this. For example, mosses cannot be neglected. Otherwise, they will soon be covered with clovers that grow in clusters. Because clovers grow in clusters so fast, you have to pull them out one by one from the roots with tweezers. You also have to pick up fallen leaves quite frequently; otherwise, the moss underneath won’t get any sunlight and will soon rot and fade in color. So, although it may look natural at first glance, there has been a lot of work put into it. The extraordinary atmosphere you felt near the entrance might have been that sort of energy.

How does it compare to the other gardens you’ve visited?

Kumoni:  I felt that it was where everything I had learned up until then was condensed into one. Looking at it, it has beautiful things to offer both from up close and from a distance—I could tell it is intended to create a natural mountain. There are “mountains” inside the garden, but then there are also real mountains in its background. Although you cannot really see them so well, the sounds of rustling trees and chirping insects are amazing. They almost made me believe that I was also in one of those mountains. There are also three entrances for all estates of the realm, but all of them were equally wonderful. I was truly impressed.

Yamaguchi:  The eye-catching features, such as the mountain, waterfall, bridge, and teahouse, are all located within just the right distance. You get the feeling at the entrance that you’ve entered an extraordinary place, and everywhere you look inside is impressive; but for some reason, you don’t get overwhelmed. The fact that there is work put into it means it is intentional and artificial, but as Mr. Kumon mentioned, there is something about it that gives us the illusion that it is in its natural state.

Kumoni:  However, that is what makes the place hard to capture. Photography is, after all, the art of framing. You can focus anywhere, so it takes a lot of courage to decide what to frame. You would want to include everything to convey the entire beauty, but anyone could take that photograph. That is why we have a lot of mid-distance views. Even though a lot of things don’t make it into the frame, I still wanted it to have the feeling of both the close-up and distant view.

So the photographs give a different impression than before because there are fewer close-ups and distant views, and instead focus on the mid-distant views.

Yamaguchi:  Mr. Kumon, as always, got along with the reception staff and heard a lot of stories from them, and we found out that the garden became this current state since the management was transferred to the Teikanen Preservation Society Public Interest Incorporated Foundation. Comparing it to the photo they showed us from that time, some things never changed and some things look completely different; it is quite rare to see something that has improved over time in terms of management and preservation. At one point, we heard that the garden had reverted to its natural state, almost like a forest. But they started to take care of it again, and the speed of natural growth and that of human management have clicked, which I think is how it reached its current state. I believe that the “layers of time” that have changed and accumulated over the years are reflected in its form as a result.

Kumoni:  In Europe, architectural heritage is largely intact because earthquakes are rare, and there is a culture of valuing old things. On the other hand, Japan is prone to earthquakes and has a warm and wet climate, both of which make maintaining wooden architecture especially difficult. At Teikanen, I can feel the culture of appreciating the depth of time that has continued since the Edo period.

Yamaguchi:  I think Japanese people have a penchant for new things. New buildings are always popular, and even Ise Jingu is rebuilt every 20 years. However, in 1615 during the Edo period, the Tokugawa family issued the One Castle per Province Order to reduce the defensive capabilities of their feudal lords, demolishing all castles except for one residential castle, while forbidding them to build anew. This meant that they had to preserve what they had, which cultivated their awareness of taking good care of and preserving old things. Amidst such a paradigm shift, I believe that this place has taken its time to mature into this state.

May 8th, 2024