address: 8-1.Hanaharumachi,Aizuwakamatsu Bus Access: In front of Oyakuen buss stop of Aizu-wakamatsu City Suttle bus "Haikarasan" Contact Information: 965-0804 Fukushima-ken, Aizu Wakamatsu-shi, Hanaharu-machi
8-1 TEL: 0242-27-2472, FAX: 0242-29-1322 E-mail:
History
Not far from Tsurugajo in Aizu Wakamatsu lies a place of beauty that has been
enjoyed for generations. A place of worship and healing, enshrouded in superstition
and buffeted by war, the Oyakuen gardens have a long and interesting history.
Around seven hundred years ago, Naomori Ashina, a local ruler of the Aizu area,
commissioned the construction of a small shrine (called the Asahi Jinja) on the
current location of the gardens. He chose the site because it was said that the
water welling up from the ground there had healing properties. A descendant of
Ashina added another building to the site sometime between 1432 and 1444. One
hundred years after that, the structures were resurrected from a state of disrepair
by another Aizu lord, who used the area as a place for reflection and meditation,
and urged others under his command to do the same.
It was not until the Matsudaira clan assumed the duties of local rule in the 1600s
that the site became known for its medicinal herbs and vegetables. It was a fourth
generation Aizu clan leader who first called the area Oyakuen (Literally, medicinal
garden).
About three hundred years ago, a wooden structure was built on an island in the
garden's reflecting pool. Originally designed to be a place of peaceful reflection,
the building, with it's thatched roof, came to shelter wounded soldiers during
the Boshin Civil War of the late 1800s. Most of Aizu Wakamatsu was devastated
during the conflict,but Oyakuen escaped relatively unscathed; although some sword
marks can apparently still be seen in the wood of the buildings. Oyakuen was designated
a public park in 1928, and as an "Important National Scenic Site" by
the Ministry of Education in 1932. The same kinds of herbs grown by the Aizu clan's
daimyo and samurai are now being planted, harvested, and made into traditional
remedies (since 1956)
Today, people visit Oyakuen all year round. The changing seasons enhance the beauty
of the garden, with spring's cherry blossoms and autumn's colorful leaves drifting
slowly into the pond. Located just a few minutes from two other attractions (Tsurugajou
and Bukeyashiki), Oyakuen is about thirty minute bus ride from Aizu Wakamatsu station.
