Kunenan is a historic Japanese garden and villa in Kanzaki City, Saga Prefecture. Originally built as the private retreat of Yataro Itami, a successful businessman from Saga during the Meiji period (1868–1912), it is celebrated for its refined landscape, traditional architecture, and beautiful seasonal scenery. The garden was designated a National Place of Scenic Beauty in 1995, recognizing its exceptional cultural and aesthetic value.
The garden was created over a period of nine years by the renowned gardener Hori Wassho of Kurume, who was highly regarded for his work on Japanese gardens and tea houses in Kyushu. The name “Kunenan,” meaning “Nine-Year Hermitage,” is associated with this long period of construction. The garden combines carefully arranged trees, moss-covered ground, and a traditional residence to create a tranquil landscape that blends naturally with the surrounding mountains.
Kunenan is particularly famous for its autumn foliage. During the autumn viewing season, the changing colors of the maples create a striking contrast with the deep green moss, while the garden and the surrounding woodland appear to merge into one expansive landscape. The fresh greenery of spring is equally appealing, offering a different atmosphere from the vivid colors of autumn.
The villa was built by Yataro Itami, an influential businessman who made his fortune during the Meiji period. It was constructed in 1892 and served as a private retreat where he could enjoy the natural surroundings and the quiet atmosphere of the countryside.
The building is designed in the sukiya style, a form of traditional Japanese architecture closely associated with tea ceremony culture. It incorporates elements of both a tea room and a shoin-style reception room. Although the architecture is based on traditional forms, the residence also reflects the sophisticated design sensibilities of the modern era in which it was built.
Particular attention was paid to the selection of materials, colors, proportions, and construction techniques. The building features a thatched irimoya-style roof, a combination of gabled and hipped roof forms. Its earthen walls are finished with cedar bark, while small windows are fitted with bamboo latticework. A distinctive wet-edge veranda made from madake bamboo adds to the building’s character.
These details give the villa a delicate appearance that harmonizes with the surrounding garden. Rather than standing apart from the landscape, the residence feels integrated into it, allowing visitors to appreciate the relationship between traditional Japanese architecture and nature.
The garden was designed and created by Hori Wassho, a celebrated gardener from Kurume. Its construction took nine years, reflecting the care and time devoted to shaping the landscape. The garden covers approximately 6,800 square meters, while the wider property extends to about 28,000 square meters, including approximately 22,000 square meters of mountain woodland.
More than 60 varieties of plants and approximately 700 individual trees are found in the garden. These include around 265 azaleas and 134 Japanese maples. Moss is another important element of the landscape, with approximately 40 varieties recorded, including several types that create a rich carpet of green across the ground.
The trees and moss are arranged to create a natural-looking landscape rather than a rigidly formal composition. The garden is surrounded by dense woodland, and the carefully managed planting blends into the native vegetation beyond it. This relationship between the cultivated garden and the surrounding forest is one of its defining characteristics.
Kunenan also makes use of the traditional Japanese concept of shakkei, or borrowed scenery. Views of the wider landscape, including the Chikushi Plain and the distant Ariake Sea, are incorporated into the garden’s visual composition. The surrounding mountains and open countryside become part of the garden itself, creating a sense of depth and spaciousness.
Autumn is the season for which Kunenan is best known. In November, Japanese maples and other deciduous trees turn shades of red, orange, and yellow. Their colors form a beautiful gradation across the garden and the surrounding mountains.
One of the most attractive features is the contrast between the brilliant autumn leaves and the evergreen moss covering the ground. The combination of vivid foliage, deep green moss, and the quiet woodland creates an atmosphere that feels almost otherworldly. Because the garden and the surrounding mountains appear to become one continuous landscape, visitors can enjoy a particularly immersive autumn scene.
In May, the garden takes on a completely different character. New leaves appear on the maples, and the trees are covered in fresh green foliage. The moss also looks especially vibrant, giving the entire garden a bright and refreshing atmosphere.
Instead of the dramatic colors of autumn, spring offers a softer landscape filled with delicate shades of green. The combination of fresh maple leaves, moss, and the quiet woodland makes this season an appealing time to visit.
The name Kunenan is connected not only with the nine years spent creating the garden but also with a tea house that once stood in the northwestern part of the grounds. The original tea house, which was approximately 14 tsubo in size, was known as “Kunenan.” The name was displayed on a sign inside the building and eventually became the name of the entire villa and garden.
The tea house was later dismantled, but the name remained. The nine-year construction period of the garden provided another explanation for the name, reinforcing its association with the time and effort invested in creating the landscape.
Kunenan was originally established on land associated with Fudoin, a temple connected with Nibisan Gokokuji, and Jizoin, a subsidiary temple. The villa and garden were developed by Yataro Itami, who transformed the former temple grounds into a private retreat.
After Itami’s time, the property passed into the ownership of the Kurata family. In 1982, Saga Prefecture purchased the land, and the buildings were donated to the prefecture by the owner. This helped secure the future preservation of the villa and garden as an important cultural landscape.
The garden began opening to the public in autumn in 1988. Public viewing during the spring season was introduced in 2010, allowing visitors to appreciate the fresh greenery as well as the famous autumn colors. In 1995, Kunenan was officially designated a National Place of Scenic Beauty.
Kunenan is generally open to visitors during two special seasonal periods: in May, when the fresh greenery is at its best, and in November, when the autumn leaves create the garden’s celebrated colorful scenery. These limited opening periods help preserve the peaceful atmosphere and allow visitors to enjoy the garden at its most beautiful times of year.
Whether visited in spring or autumn, Kunenan offers a chance to experience the refined beauty of a traditional Japanese garden. Its carefully designed landscape, historic sukiya-style villa, moss-covered ground, and borrowed views of the surrounding countryside make it one of Saga Prefecture’s most distinctive cultural and scenic destinations.
Mid-November 8:30-16:00
Train: 10 min. on the Showa Bus bound for Mise Sefuri from JR Kanzaki Stn. to Nibiyama Shrine, a short walk from Nibiyama Shrine-mae bus stop.
By Car: Approx. 10 min. from Higashisefuri IC on the Nagasaki Expressway.