「上野家庭園」 福岡県 / "Ueno Family Garden" Fukuoka Pref

「上野家庭園」 福岡県久留米市

上野家は鎌倉時代まで遡る武家の家系で九州を統治した大友氏の家臣を経て江戸時代には帰農し久留米東部地域で大庄屋を務めました。かって久留米藩主が上野家を訪れた際に休息・宿泊した御成の間と庭園が現在も残されています。

御成の間は文化年間（1804~1818年）の建築、切石の基壇の上に建てられ通常の建物より床下が２倍ほど高く殿様を迎えるにふさわしい建物です。現在屋根は青いトタンで覆われていますが本来の茅葺が内側に残されています。この御成の間から眺めるために作られた庭は小規模ながら池泉回遊式庭園です。築庭当時の池は現在とは異なり中心部のみで左右は後に広げられたもの、当初はこじんまりした池だったようです。しかし池に架けられた自然石の石橋は豪気で武家の風格を思わせ、同じ筑後川流域朝倉の江戸初期につくられた旧三奈木黒田家庭園の石橋を彷彿とさせ時代を超えて２つの庭が同じ庭園文化を共有していることを感じさせます。またこの庭の最大の特徴である背後の耳納連山系・兜山の美しい借景は、同地域久留米南部の山中にある雪舟作庭の伝承がある清水寺庭園の借景に共通するものがあります。上野家の庭から兜山の頂上まで遮る人口建造物は一切なくその自然と一体化した景観は雄大そのものです。個人の庭でここまで借景が保全されている例は貴重ではないでしょうか。

現在８０代の御当主がお一人で庭の管理にあたっておられます。見学希望の場合は必ず久留米市文化財保護課を通して事前に許可と予約を取って手土産などを持参のうえ訪問してください。久留米ツツジが開花する４月頃がおすすめです。

◼︎名称：「上野家庭園」

◼︎住所：福岡県久留米市山本町1755

◼︎TEL: 見学事前予約は久留米市HPより文化財保護課に問い合わせしてください。

◼︎駐車場：普通車１台

◼︎アクセス：西鉄久留米駅より路線バス乗車「下野」バス停下車徒歩7分

"Ueno Family Garden" Kurume City, Fukuoka Prefecture

The Ueno family is a samurai family that dates back to the Kamakura period abaut 800 years ago, and after serving as vassals of the Otomo clan that ruled Kyushu, in the Edo period they quit being samurai and became farmers, serving as large landowners in the eastern region of Kurume. Today, the Onarino-ma, where the Kurume clan lords stayed for a short while when they visited the Ueno family, and the garden still remain at the Ueno family mansion.The Onari-no-Ma building was built during the Bunka era (1804-1818) of the Edo period. It was built on a cut stone platform and has a higher floor than a normal building, making it suitable for hosting a lord. Currently, the roof is covered with blue corrugated iron, but originally it was thatched.

The garden that was created to be viewed from Onari no Ma was Chisenkaiyushiki Garden, and when it was first constructed, the pond was only in the center, and the left and right sides were later expanded, so it was originally a small pond. However, the natural stone bridge over the pond has a dignified, samurai-style feel, and is reminiscent of the stone bridge at the former Minagi Kuroda Family Garden, which was built in the early Edo period in the Chikugo area. The two gardens share the same garden culture throughout the ages.

The most distinctive feature of this garden is the borrowed view of Kabutoyama in the Minou Mountain Range in the background. There are no man-made structures blocking the path from the Ueno Family Garden to the top of Mt. Kabutoyama, and the landscape where the garden and nature are integrated is majestic and beautiful. This is one of the rare examples in Japan where a borrowed landscape has been preserved to this extent in a private garden.

Currently, the head of the family, who is in his 80s, manages the garden by himself. If you would like to tour, please be sure to obtain permission and make a reservation in advance through the Kurume City Cultural Properties Protection Division, and bring any souvenirs with you. We recommend visiting around April when Kurume azaleas bloom.

◼︎Name: “Ueno Family Garden”

◼︎Address: 1755 Yamamotocho, Kurume City, Fukuoka Prefecture

◼︎TEL: For advance reservations for tours, please contact the Cultural Properties Protection Division from the Kurume City website.

◼︎Parking: 1 regular car

◼︎Access: Take the route bus from Nishitetsu Kurume Station and get off at the “Shimono” bus stop, then walk 7 minutes