Every now again, you find places in the world where you feel you belong. Shukkeien Garden is one such place. It is peaceful and lovely, with labyrinthine paths that go up and down hills, and you are always close to the water. Buy some food packets and you can feed the Koi and the turtles that are always eager for your handouts. You can see the whole garden in 45 minutes if you are in a rush, but I would recommend spending two hours to enjoy the peace and quiet.

The cherry blossom is just starting to bloom (1st April) and the gardens were busy but not too full. A reasonable entry fee and you can pay an extra 100¥ for carp food. A lot of the fish weren't interested in the food I threw in but a couple did. For a 100¥ it was a fun little extra Lovely manicured lawns and good English signage across the gardens at different points of interest

We did this as part of a tour package arranged through our cruise line (princess). We arrived at the gardens early, and in true Japanese efficiency, they wouldn't let us in before 9am. The bonus was we were the first in, so it wasn't crowded at all. Even so, 45 mins was a good amount of time to see what we wanted. The gardens are so beautiful. Much better than the Japanese gardens we visited in Vancouver. Certainly worthwhile to visit when in Hiroshima.

Shukkeien Garden is one of Hiroshima's most beautiful gardens, designed way back in 1620 by a famous tea master with elements symbolizing oceans, mountains, valleys, and forests. Here are graceful bridges, tea houses, and stone lanterns, and the garden is so picturesque that it's where couples come to immortalize their moments for posterity. Located just 1 km from the epicenter of the atomic bomb, the garden was understandably severely damaged. However, the resilient Japanese managed to restore Shukkeien to its former glory just a few years after the war. Naturally, today the lovely garden houses a memorial for the city's innocent victims of the atomic bomb. The horrors of that time are thus enveloped in timeless beauty, making them almost bearable.

These lovely gardens are located a ten minute walk from both Hiroshima JR station and the castle. We discovered that the gardens were built around 1620 and had been a place of refuge for many after the A bomb. It was a beautiful man-made setting and it had a real botanic garden feel, but it only supported indigenous fauna. There was a small pagoda at one end and a structure called the bridge between heaven and earth crossing the middle. At several sites along this walk we found hungry carp to feed for a 100 yen. On the far side are some rough stone steps up and down that led to a charming bamboo grove at the end. Overall a peaceful setting.

What an amazing place; it seems that just because it is situated in an exotic place it must be amazing. Far from it. Shukkeien translated into English means shrunken-scenery garden. The gardens represent the scenery of Japanese terrain in miniature. The gardens are set around a central lake and have been in existence for over 400 years are based on Lake Xihu (West Lake) in Hangzhou, China. The gardens served as refuge after the bombing of Hiroshima. The family owned gardens were donated to the City and after considerable renovations opened to the public. The gardens resembles valleys, mountains, and forests landscapes of Japan. Meandering around the garden are different footpaths that take the visitor along the different landscapes and provide a variety of perspectives. There are different routes to follow, each with branching paths and little side paths to explore. Taking our time and slowly strolling around, enjoying the pleasant views and relaxing at one of the tea houses. Central to Shukkeien Garden is the pond, and the points of view one gets to enjoy while walking around it. Within the pond are countless Koi (carp) that visitors can feed for a small fee. The garden can be visited year round and is especially beautiful during the spring, in the Sakura period when all the cherry blossoms bloom is out and in autumn when the garden turns a stunning red and brown, and is spectacularly lit up after dark.