About Fukushuen garden
When you’re busy, you won’t take the time to drive off the main road, but when you do, in the middle of Naha City, on Highway 58 in the Kumo area, you’re just minutes away from this ancient garden, rebuilt after World War II; parking is a short walk away, and for a small fee you can enter this garden with its pagodas, waterfalls and Chinese relics from hundreds of years ago. It’s quiet, peaceful and a must see when you have a camera. You are guaranteed to love this place. I have met many Japanese people working in Naha who have never heard of it, but once you go there, you too will recommend it as a must stop and visit place. I’ve been there many times.
How to get there
Take the No. 2 Kokuba Line, No. 3 Matsukawa Line, No. 5 Sensei Line, or No. 14 Park Line and get off at the Kume Post Office and walk for about 5 minutes.
Fare
Free of charge
Tips
This garden is very quiet, although you are in the center of the city, you can hardly feel the hustle and bustle. I lived in Okinawa and noticed that there were many tourists, and later I realized that they were people traveling by boat. We could walk around the paths and enjoy the buildings and small ponds. They provide a venue to buy food (100 yen) and feed for fish/turtles. It was delightful, especially the small ones.
At the back of the garden, there is a waterfall where you can take a good photo behind the water and from the bridge across the street. We finished our afternoon meal in the farm kitchen next to the garden. It took us about 2 hours. It takes about an hour if you move fast. Just off the crowded cruise ship, as we were walking back to the tour center, we happened to pass this such a beautiful clean and tidy park with large seasonal plant areas. It was a bit empty, but beautifully decorated with delightful pavilions, lofts, waterfalls, and ponds.
A quiet and beautiful place to be as we gather to return to the cruise ship.
Fukushuuen garden is located in Kume Village, Naha City, Okinawa Prefecture, Japan. It is a 10-minute walk from the “Hall-mae Station” by monorail and about 10 minutes from Naha Airport. Admission is 200 yen for adults and 100 yen for children, and the park is closed on Wednesdays.
Naha City and Fukushu City are sister cities separated by a sea, and have a close relationship and a long history. The 36 Minnan people who have lived in Kume for generations have become one with the local people during the long development of Naha City. In order to relieve the homesickness of the 36 surnames in Kume, this Fukushu Garden was built on the occasion of the 10th anniversary of the friendship between Fuzhou and Naha. It was built to commemorate and pass on to future generations.
The Fukushuuen garden is designed with the characteristics and features of Fukushu, using traditional Fukushu craftsmanship and with Fuzhou providing the basic engineering design and technical guidance. On an area of 8,500 square meters, three mountains (Yu Mountain, Wu Mountain, and Ping Mountain), two towers (Bai Tower and Wu Tower), and one stream (Min River) are constructed to encompass the famous representative scenery and architecture of Fuzhou. Among them, the three parts of space, four seasons scenery, eight landscapes and two pools of spring water show the famous scenery of Fuzhou in the best way.
Strolling through it is like going back to Fuzhou, China, where the colorful and diverse garden style is presented in the best way. The gurgling water, quiet ponds, pavilions and pavilions all reproduce the local flavor of Fukushu.
Although this garden is small in size, it is compactly arranged, and if you go around the garden in the direction indicated, there is nothing left out in the garden, and the recommended tour time is about 30-1 hour.
Fukushuuen garden is located on the site of the former Ryukyu Kingdom’s Kume Village. The inhabitants of Kume Village are descendants of the 36 surnames of the Min people from Fujian, China, who played an important role in the history of the Ryukyu Kingdom’s relations with China. And Fukushu used to be the only trade port for the Ryukyu Kingdom during its tribute to China.
On May 20, 1981, Naha became a sister city with Fukushu. The year 1991 marks the 70th anniversary of Naha’s founding and the 10th anniversary of the conclusion of its friendship city with Fukushu. To commemorate this history, Naha City government decided to build Fukushu Garden on the original site of Kume Village. The Fuzhou Garden was designed and constructed by Fuzhou people hired by Naha, and the materials used were entirely from Fuzhou. Fuzhou Garden was officially opened in September 1992, and the main buildings in the garden include three mountains (Yu Mountain, Wu Mountain, and Ping Mountain), two towers (Wu Tower and Bai Tower), and one stream (Min River), incorporating Fuzhou’s representative scenery into the garden.
In the garden, buildings such as pavilions and pavilions have been built in imitation of famous Fukushu scenic spots, and ponds, waterfalls, green trees and sculptures are dotted in the wide green space, presenting the beautiful landscape of a typical Chinese garden.
