Temple Garden of Philosophy Overview
Temple Garden of Philosophy Overview and History
Founding
The Temple Garden of Philosophy, unique throughout the world, is a park established in 1904 by INOUE Enryo, philosopher and founder of Toyo University, as a place for the betterment of mind and spirit.
The park features many different historic structures and facilities that were installed over a roughly fifteen-year period. The buildings, stone statues, ponds, and paths give visual expression to philosophy by embodying the shapes and words of that world.
The many sakura cherry blossom trees in the park lining the edge of Nakano-dori street are renown in Tokyo for their particular flower-viewing beauty, and the park is close to the hearts of locals as a place for walking and relaxation while enjoying the different moods of the changing seasons.
In the northern section of the park, there are also baseball, tennis, and archery grounds.
Origin of the Name
The Temple Garden of Philosophy had its beginnings in the construction of the “Four Sages Hall.” The Four Sages Hall was built in commemoration of the vocational school “Philosophy Academy” being recognized by the 1904 Specialized Schools Order as the private university “Tetsugakukan” (Philosophy Hall)—the forerunner to Toyo University. Four international philosophers are honored in the Four Sages Hall, which was also referred to as the “Temple of Philosophy,” showing the origin of the park’s current day name.
| 1899 | Doctor INOUE Enryo purchases the land |
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| 1904 | Four Sages Hall built in commemoration of the recognition of Tetsugakukan University |
| 1906 | Becomes a park dedicated to the betterment of mind and spirit |
| 1909–1912 | Tetsuri mon Gate of Philosophical Reason, Rokuken dai Pagoda of the Six Wise Ones, Sangaku tei Three Erudites Arbor, Jōshiki mon Gate of Common Sense, Dokuro an Hut of the Skull Hermitage, and Mujin zō Inexhaustible Treasury are built |
| 1913–1915 | Uchū kan Cosmos Hall, Zettai jō Citadel of the Absolute, and Kishin kutsu Hollow of Gods and Spirits are built |
| 1916–1918 | With the inclusion of features such as the Seikai su Land of Stars, Kanshō ryō Observation Overpass, and the placement of the Shōnen tō Stele of Invocation in the Four Sages Hall, the park is essentially completed |
| 1944 | With an eye also to avoiding destruction in the war, the park is donated to the city of Tokyo |
| 1946 | Becomes the second public Tokyo park to open after the war |
| 1947 | City of Tokyo goes on to open the exercise facilities portion of the park |
| 1975 | Tokyo purchases remaining land from Toyo University Management shifts from Tokyo to Nakano ward and park becomes “Nakano City Tetsugakudō Park” (Nakano City Temple Garden of Philosophy) |
| 1984 | Six historic structures designated as tangible cultural properties of Nakano City: Gate of Philosophical Reason, Four Sages Hall, Pagoda of the Six Wise Ones, Three Erudites Arbor, Cosmos Hall, and Citadel of the Absolute |
| 1985–1988 | Restoration work carried out on the six cultural properties |
| 1988 | In addition to the previous six, four more historic structures (Gate of Common Sense, Hut of the Skull Hermitage, Hollow of Gods and Spirits, and Inexhaustible Treasury) and parts of the park itself (Jikū kō Hill of Time and Space, Yuishin tei Garden of Idealism, and Yuibutsu en Garden of Materialism areas) designated as tangible cultural properties of Nakano City |
| 1988–1992 | Temple Garden of Philosophy rejuvenation plan formulated and entire park redeveloped, restoring missing elements |
| 2009 | Park designated as Tokyo City “Place of Scenic Beauty.” Tetsugaku no niwa Garden of Philosophy established |
| 2020 | Designated as national Place of Scenic Beauty |
Tangible Cultural Properties
The Temple Garden of Philosophy is designated as a Nakano City Tangible Cultural Property.
| 1984 | Six historic structures (Tetsuri mon Gate of Philosophical Reason, Shisei dō Four Sages Hall, Uchū kan Cosmos Hall, Zettai jō Citadel of the Absolute, Rokken dai Pagoda of the Six Wise Ones, and Sangaku tei Three Erudites Arbor) |
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| 1988 | Four historic structures (Jōshiki mon Gate of Common Sense, Dokuro an Hut of the Skull Hermitage, Kishin kutsu Hollow of Gods and Spirits, and Mujin zō Inexhaustible Treasury) and the park grounds (excluding the exercise facilities) |