Dec 25, 2014 - 1 min read

Echizen Ajimano-en Park in Autumn

Tied to the Manyoshu, Japan's oldest poetry collection

By Takako Sakamoto

Community writer

Japanese garden with colorful mountains in the background

Winding pathway inside Ajimano-en Park with the colorful mountain in the background

Beautifully landscaped Japanese garden and pond

Traditional old Japanese house with thatched-roof in the park

Set with snow protection, trees in the park are ready for the coming winter

View of the pond and the garden inside the park

Sad lotus pond in late autumn, which will surely revive next summer!

Artistic line of a pine tree with brilliant orange leaves in the backdrop

Impressive mixture of bare trees and colored leaves

An airplane shooting through the blue sky

Lines of tall cedar trees on the hillside viewed from the park

Statues of Emperor Keitai and Teruhi-no-mae. The Noh actor/playwright Zeami wrote his famous Noh song 'Hanagatami' based on the romance between them.

Located in Echizen City of Fukui Prefecture, Ajimano-en Park was founded to commemorate the deep relationship of this area (Echizen and Takefu) to the Manyo-shu, the oldest collection of Japanese poetry (many famous poets in olden days read poetry on this historical, beautiful area). Also, Echizen is the place where the prince Keitai lived before he went to Kyoto to become the 26th Emperor of Japan in 507. His romance with his mistress Teruhi-no Mae was made into a famous Noh play, 'Hanagatami', by Zeami. Their statues and stone monuments stand within the park. The park is beautifully landscaped with well-maintained trees, gardens and more. Here, seasonal flowers and plants can be enjoyed throughout the year.

Echizen Ajimano-en Park Series 1. Echizen Ajimano-en Park in Autumn 2. Fukui's Ajimano Shrine in Echizen