YASUGI CITY, Japan — The term “Japanese garden” conjures up images of idyllic perfection, and it doesn’t get any better than the Adachi Museum of Art in Yasugi City, Japan. For the last 21 years it has been ranked the number one such garden by American publication Sukiya Living Magazine: The Journal of Japanese Gardening. Further accolades include a three-star rating in the Michelin Green Guide Japan.

“We are still recovering from COVID-19. Right now we average over 400,000 visitors annually; this is down from our peak of over 600,000 pre-pandemic,” Ayaka Kanno, manager, public relations Department — Adachi Museum of Art, told the Jamaica Observer.

At the Adachi Museum, art and traditional Japanese gardening collide into a visual feast. This is on purpose as the late founder, Adachi Zenko, pursued the concept of a garden as a living canvas. Created in 1970, as a gift to his hometown, the now 41-acre museum is an ode to that very philosophy of the artistic value in nature, as well as a repository of Japanese art. The layout of the museum flows patrons along a path blending these two elements. Visitors cannot access the gardens directly, but experience it through one of the eight curated spots inside the museum that aim to replicate the feeling that one is viewing a painting, more specifically one done in the six-screen folding style of the Rinpa School.

Visitors are encouraged to walk the Yuushien grounds for the maximum Japanese
garden experience.

In one moment, a guest could be looking at one of the 2,000 pieces of art on display and transition to a wood-framed window containing a sectional view of the immaculately maintained garden. And immaculate it is, as even the iconic elaborate rake designs common to Japanese gardens are non-existent. There is no natural foliage debris anywhere on the ground. Each leaf and branch has been clipped to erase nature’s randomness, leaving nothing but uniformity in colour and intended shape.

“We are open 365 days a year. At this point we have seven full-time gardeners on staff that maintain everything. And sometimes even the other staff members will assist,” said Kanno.

The other key viewing areas are open enough for visitors to create a closer connection to the beauty in front of them.

The Adachi Museum’s art collection, fed by Zenko’s personal collection of Yokoyama Taikan paintings, contains works from other Japanese art masters across the modern, contemporary painting, ceramic, and wood carving mediums. Most recently in 2020, the museum celebrated its 50th anniversary by adding Rosanjin Hall to house pieces by the Japanese ceramist Kitaoji Rosanjin.

“We rotate the art exhibition to match each of the four seasons,” Kanno said.

Offering a more interactive take on the Japanese garden experience is Yuushien Gardens. Located about 24 kilometres away on Daikonshima Island, Yuushien encourages guests to walk through what is another example of a meticulously maintained display of Japanese greenery. One can take time to embrace the impact on the five senses that only such a garden can provide at one’s own pace. Yuushien’s extra incentive for a visit is the seminal Japanese peony flower, with an indoor temperature-controlled section of the facility dedicated to ensure the plant’s fabulous bloom continues year-round regardless of the weather.