Okayama ¨C It¡¯s raining lightly as I walk through , but it doesn¡¯t diminish the experience. As rain patters on my umbrella, the moss and leaves around me, I feel a sense of calm as a local guide explains the garden¡¯s historical significance.
When Nobutomi Matsudaira and his clan came to power in 1698, succeeding the Mori family who built the grounds, the daimyo ¡°would use this garden as a meeting place for receiving vassals from other clans. Later on, he would come here for falconry, archery and other activities.¡±
In Tsuyama, Okayama Prefecture, the rain somehow feels right in the gardens of Shurakuen, giving life to the grass, moss and a whimsical mushroom here and there. The garden is now just a third of its original 77,000-square-meter size, the daimyo are long gone and the modern citizenry of the west-central Chugoku region seems to be following suit. Okayama ranks a middling 20th among prefectures in terms of population; to the north, Tottori Prefecture ranks dead last.
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