Explore the Chiran Samurai Residence Gardens Walk the street lined with stone walls, then pause for Chiran tea

Stone walls topped with hedges stretch on and on. On a November afternoon, I came to the street of samurai residences in Chiran and took my time looking down the lane. The stonework and leaves kept drawing my eye, and I stopped walking before I’d even reached the gate ahead. I didn’t expect the street itself to make such an impression. Today, I wanted to enjoy the walk as much as the gardens.

I left my black jacket open and followed the lane. Up close, every stone in the walls has a different shape. When I reached a corner, the view beyond the hedge shifted a little, too. It’s not the kind of street that just runs straight to the end, so I wanted to see what came next. I was walking more slowly than usual because I didn’t want to miss how it changed.

I took out the bottle of Chiran tea I’d brought and paused beside the stone wall. While I was walking, I’d been looking down the lane, but when I stopped for a sip, I found myself wanting to look at the tea in my hand, too. I took a sip, then let out a soft breath. The clean taste left me ready to walk a little farther, and even after I’d finished, I didn’t put the bottle away right away.

After sipping my Chiran tea, I looked up and the leaves on top of the stone wall caught my eye again. The Fumoto district, where the street of samurai residences is located, is recognized by the national government as an Important Preservation District for Groups of Traditional Buildings. Learning that this landscape had been preserved here made me want to take it in slowly and remember it, not just admire it for its beauty. By then, the walk up to the gate had become part of what I was looking forward to.

Apparently, all seven gardens open to the public have been designated as Places of Scenic Beauty by the national government. Looking through the gate from the street made me want to take my time exploring the gardens inside, too. Walking the street and stepping into the gardens are two different pleasures. I took note of the lane in front of me first, curious about what I’d see in the gardens.

After my walk around town, I took another sip of the tea left in my bottle. I’d come to Chiran planning to take photos of the gardens and head home, but the shapes of the stone walls and the bends in the street stayed with me. I think I’ll remember where I stopped for tea, too. Next time I’m here, I want to enjoy this street without hurrying.