The first lord of the Hosokawa family, Tadahiro, discovered this spring and took a liking to the area while falconry hunting. He later built a tea house there, which was eventually developed into a large strolling garden. Highly popular during the Momoyama period, it was named Jōju-en after a phrase from a poem by the Chinese poet Tao Yuanming.
During the Genroku era—a period known for its lavish samurai culture—the garden contained numerous arbors and was celebrated for ten distinct scenic views. However, under Lord Shigekata, it was simplified in compliance with sumptuary laws: the arbors were removed, leaving only one arbor and the natural tree landscape intact.
In the Meiji era, a shrine called Izumi Shrine—izumi meaning “spring”—was established on the grounds, dedicated to all the Hosokawa lords.
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1 表参道鳥居 Torii Gate on the approaching road
2 出水神社本殿 The main hall of Izumi Shrine
3 神水「長寿の水」the holy water, the water of longevity
4 能楽殿 No play stage
5 流鏑馬馬場 Yabusame riding groud
6 古今伝授の間からの庭園の景色 the view from the room of Kokon Denju, ancient and modern instructions
7 社務所からの庭園の景色 the view from the shrine clerk room
8 古今伝授の間 the room of Kokon Denju
9 涌水池と富士山 spring pond and Mt. Fuji
10 成趣園池の朝靄 morning mist in Seiju-en Garden pond
11 御祭神細川忠利公銅像 the bronze statue of Hosokawa Tadatoshi, the god of the shrine
鳥居 (Torii) is a symbolic gateway marking the entrance to the sacred precincts of a Shintō shrine in Japan.
能楽 (Noh drama) is the oldest surviving form of Japanese theater. It combines music, dance, and acting to communicate Buddhist themes. Often, the plot of a Noh play recreates famous scenes from well-known works of Japanese literature such as The Tale of Genji or The Tale of the Heike.
流鏑馬 (Yabusame) is a type of mounted archery in traditional Japanese archery. An archer on a running horse shoots three special “turnip-headed” arrows successively at three wooden targets. This style of archery has its origins at the beginning of the Kamakura period.
古今伝授の間 (Kokin Denju no Ma) is the room where Hosokawa Yūsai taught Prince Hachijōnomiya Toshihito the secrets of the Kokin Wakashū, a classical anthology of Japanese waka poetry. “Kokin Denju” refers to the transmission of knowledge about this anthology.
神道の神 (Shintō no Kami): Shintō has many gods (kami). It originated from animism, the belief that spirits reside in natural phenomena, which led to the worship of numerous deities. Some historical figures have also been deified in Shintō.
縁結びの木として話題の「梛（なぎ）」の巨木 (Enmusubi no Ki toshite Wadai no “Nagi” no Kyoboku): This giant nagi tree (a type of laurel) has gained attention as a “matchmaking tree.” Enmusubi refers to the forming of bonds, encompassing all the connections people make throughout their lives.
