逍遙庵庭園

A special attraction at the FEAS is the Freeman family Japanese-style room and garden, an architectural ensemble consisting of Shôyôan, a room in the style of Japanese domestic architecture, and its adjoining Japanese-style garden, Shôyôan Teien (Shôyôan Garden). Shôyôan was built in 1987 through the generosity of Mansfield Freeman '16, whose endowment established the FEAS, and the garden was constructed in 1995, with further gifts from the Freeman family and the encouragement of Mr. Freeman's son, Houghton Freeman '43. Planned from the start as an educational resource, the ensemble provides a tangible means of experiencing Japanese aesthetics and exploring the cultural values that these spaces embody. The room and garden are actively used for a wide variety of purposes, ranging from meetings of small classes and Japanese tea ceremonies to quiet contemplation and meditation.

In 2005 the garden was enhanced with the addition of three lovely cherry trees, which were a gift from Professor Satoshi Omura, who was installed as the inaugural Max Tischler Professor of Chemistry that year.  In 2015 Prof. Omura was awarded the Nobel Prize in Medicine, and we asked him to tell us more about the origin of the delightful cherry trees that adorn our garden, and he offered these reflections (in English and Japanese).

A map of the plantings in the garden, with an accompanying key, are also available.

Stephen Morrell
Japanese Garden Curator
samorrell56@gmail.com