Tenshaen Garden
天赦園
The retirement garden of the seventh lord of the Date clan in Uwajima. This pond-and-stroll garden is known for wisteria, Japanese irises and bamboo groves.
Tenshaen was built in 1866 as the retirement residence of Date Munenori, the seventh lord of the Uwajima domain. Its name comes from a line of poetry by Date Masamune meaning 'a frail body pardoned by heaven'. It is a designated National Place of Scenic Beauty. The garden centers on Shinji Pond, with the tea house Senen-kan, the Shunu-tei pavilion and moss-covered paths around the water. Because the Date family crest is bamboo, the garden holds more than twenty bamboo species. The best viewing period is late April to early May, when the white and purple wisteria on the trellises over the pond bloom, followed by Japanese irises. Admission is about 300 yen, and the garden is open 8:30 to 17:00. From December to March, it is closed on Mondays. It sits across the road from the Date Museum, so you can visit both.
Opening hours
08:30–17:00 (closed Mondays Dec–Mar)
Nearby sights
- Date Museum
- Uwajima Castle
- Michi-no-Eki Uwajima Kisaiya Hiroba
- Ryukoin Temple
- Uwajima City Historical Museum
- Warei Shrine
- Uwajima Bullfighting Arena
- Nametoko Gorge