A Study on the original concept and transition of the Nagasaki Shofuku Temple Garden

Abstract

Shofuku Temple in Nagasaki is one of the first temples built for Chinese in Japan. The buildings of the temple is known for the Chinese style and designated as the cultural property by the government, however, the garden of hojo (the main room of the residence) has not been investigated and maintained. This study analyzed the original design and usage of the garden based on the old documents and the land survey of the current garden. The results showed, although Shofuku Temple is a Zen temple, the garden was designed not only for meditative purpose but also for the sencha style tea ceremony, and was the first example of the “Sukiya style garden” in Japan.