Gardens at Chofu Mori Mansion

 

The Mori Mansion in Chofu was finished  in 1903, after 5 years of construction.

In 1902, Emperor Meiji stopped here twice, on his way to Kumamoto and on his return journey.

The mansion was built for Motoshi Mori, the 14th and final Chofu Mori Lord.

It was their main residence until 1918. It was donated to Shimonoseki in 1948 when the family moved to Tokyo.

It was renovated and opened to the public in 1998.

The mansion is fairly large, about 10,000 sq m's, so is worth a visit for those interested in traditional architecture, but the highlight must be the gardens.

There is a large stroll-garden with a pond and also a karesansui section.

Then there is a Shoin garden, a courtyard garden, and a teahouse garden...

The gardens and grounds have plenty of maple trees, so is an excellent Autumn leaves viewing spot, as is the nearby Chofuteien Garden.

I took so many photos while visiting that I have split this post into two parts with the second part having a further 28 photos....

The previous post was on the nearby Kozanji Temple with its National Treasure Buddha Hall and moss garden.

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