This is a Japanese-style garden certified as a Hokkaido landscaping heritage.
It is a Japanese-style garden called a chisen stroll garden, where you can go around the area with a pond in the middle.
It is a garden style where the landscaping has been done by individuals, rarely seen in Hokkaido, and it has been designated a Hokkaido landscaping heritage because traditional landscaping techniques are evident everywhere.
Originally, it was landscaped from 1912 (Meiji 45) to 1930 (Showa 5) by Tajuro Umemura, the son of Tazo Umemura, a former Owari clansman, who had moved to Yakumo village. A pond was dug and maintained in what was originally marshy land, and Matsutaro Nonaka, a landscaper from Hakodate, worked on it from around 1923 (Taisho 12).
The unique pruning of Japanese yew is the pruning method he started in this Umemura garden. It was designated a Yakumo cultural property (a scenic spot) in May 1983 (Showa 58), and has been used by many people.
In 2001 (Heisei 13), it was taken over by Yakumo with the kind consent of the Umemura family, and in 2002/2003 (Heisei 14/15), it was developed as a city park where city dwellers can gather throughout the four seasons to enjoy greenery close to them.
The garden is planted with various plants, not only all manner of azaleas such as Rhododendron dauricum, Rhododendron japonicum, Rhododendron kampferi, Rhododendron obtusum, Rhododendron x mucronatum, Enkianthus perulatus, and Rhododendron indicum, but also Japanese yews, Japanese red pines, cherry trees, maples, Japanese umbrella pines, wild ginger, Cardiocrinum cordatum var. glehnii lilies, Neolindleya camtschatica orchids, Hemerocallis fulva var. kwanso day lilies, Gentiana triflora var. japonica subvar. montana gentians, and you can enjoy the scenery throughout four seasons.