LastUpDate: November 7, 2019

Hakata Culture vol.153


Enjoying the Beautiful Fall Foliage at Yusentei Park

Illustration image

With autumn comes the changing leaves, and one of the best places in the city to stroll through the beautiful fall foliage is Yusentei. Yusentei Park features a Japanese garden situated around a central pond, and nearly 150 maple trees burst into vivid colors from mid-November to December. In addition to its maples, the park also has plum trees, wisteria, orange osmanthus and camellia, which afford beautiful views in any season.


Yusentei Park, which takes its name from the villa that once stood on the same site, was first developed into a Japanese garden in 1754 by Tsugutaka Kuroda, the sixth lord of the Fukuoka Domain. The traditional wooden building on the edge of the pond was built in the early Showa era by Kaijimaya, a local business conglomerate that used to own the land. From the spacious 17.5-mat open-plan room overlooking the pond, you can enjoy the foliage while you sip green tea and nibble on Japanese sweets.


As you stroll along the walking path, you will encounter waterfalls and stone lanterns, and you can enjoy different views of the park from each vantage point. When Yusentei served as the Kuroda Clan’s villa, it was 10 times the size it is today. As such, the park includes many sites with ties to the Kuroda Clan. Josuian, the thatch-roofed tea house, was named after Josui Kuroda, the first lord of the Fukuoka Domain, and the paving stones are Nebukawa-ishi (a type of flat stone from Kanagawa Prefecture that is rarely quarried anymore) that were donated by the Kuroda Family.


With its lush greenery, Yusentei offers a relaxing getaway despite its location in the middle of the city. The beautiful garden and traditional architecture make Yusentei a popular spot for shutterbugs any time of the year, and recently, more and more couples are stopping by the garden for wedding photos. Naturally, it has also become popular with foreign visitors. The park also organizes seasonal events, kimono wearing classes and other workshops on Japanese culture. 




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紅葉も見事な日本式庭園・友泉亭

紅葉の美しいシーズンになりました。福岡市内にある友泉亭公園では、美しい紅葉とともに日本式庭園の散策が楽しめます。池を中心にした池泉式廻遊庭園と呼ばれる形式で、11月中旬から12月にかけては約150本のカエデが見事に色づきます。紅葉だけでなく、園内にはウメ、フジ、キンモクセイ、ツバキなど四季折々の花が咲き、季節を問わず美しい花を楽しむことができます。


友泉亭公園は、福岡藩第6代藩主・黒田継高が江戸時代中期の宝暦4(1754)年に、この地に建てた別邸「友泉亭」を日本式庭園として復元・整備したものです。池のほとりに立つ和風の木造建築は、一時期ここを所有していた財閥・貝島家が昭和初期に建てたもの。池に面した17.5畳の大広間からは開放的な景色が眺められ、抹茶やお菓子をいただくこともできます。


散策路に沿って園内を歩くと、滝や灯籠などがあり、それぞれの場所からは違ったアングルで庭園が楽しめます。福岡藩祖・黒田如水にちなんで名づけられた茅葺きの茶室「如水庵」や、黒田家から寄贈を受けた現在ではほとんど産出されない根府川石など、黒田家ゆかりのものも点在しています。黒田藩の別荘として使われていたころは、現在の10倍の敷地があったそうです。


福岡の町中にありながら、緑豊かで落ち着いた雰囲気が漂う友泉亭公園。美しい庭園と日本家屋に四季折々の草花は、写真撮影に絶好のスポットとあって、最近ではここで結婚式の前撮りを行うカップルも多く見られます。海外から撮影に訪れる人たちもいるようです。季節に合わせた行事や、着物や日本文化について学ぶ講座なども行われているので、気軽に訪ねてみてください。