Abstract
This study provides basic data on the gardens designated as national Cultural Properties in Japan. The data were collected from government documents and statistics based on them give an overall view of these Cultural Properties. Gardens are generally included in the category of Meishou (Place of Scenic Beauty) among Cultural Properties. Therefore, in this study such gardens are called Meishou gardens. During the last 80 years, gardens have been newly designated as Meishou almost every year, with a few exceptional periods, and the proportion of gardens among the total number of Meishou has now reached approximately 50%. The data suggest that a large number of Meishou gardens are managed by Buddhist temples and a considerable number by local governments. 30% of Meishou gardens are located in Kyoto Prefecture and 50% are located in Kinki area including Kyoto.
