Showing posts with label shigemori kando. Show all posts
Showing posts with label shigemori kando. Show all posts

Sunday, July 13, 2025

Shimane Prefectural Office Gardens

 


The Shimane Prefectural Offices are located in the Matsue City, the prefectural capital.


Opened in 1959, they were built adjacent to the inner castle and its moat in what would have been the outer bailey of the castle complex.


Designed by Yasuda Shin, a Shimane-born architect, the building was recently made an Important Cultural Property.


The inner courtyard garden was completed in 1966.


The garden was designed by Shigemori Kando, the oldest son of the greatest 20th century Japanese garden designer Shigemori Mirei.


I found it interesting that the draincovers were incorporated into the raked sand design...


The influence of his father was quite strong.....


Another unusual feature that I found intriguing was that light reflected off the windows and created unnatural shadow patterns


Shigemori Kando later designed the garden at Tottori Prefectural Government Offices, and while some elements are common to both gardens, it is quite different.


If you are visiting the castle and have an interest in gardens, then it is certainly worth a visit, especially as there is no entry fee.








A second garden can be found in another part of the complex.


It is long and narrow and seems to represent the coastline.


The final two photos are stone arrangements in different parts of the park around the offices.


The previous post on gardens in Matsue was on the Meimei-an Teahouse.