Daimonhirin Park

Daimonhirin Park, on hills overlooking the Fuefuki River, recreates ancient imperial China in order to reveal the roots and evolution of the Chinese characters that form part of the Japanese writing system. Surrounded by nature and commanding some superb views, the park’s enchanting atmosphere has also made it a popular date spot: it is illuminated for three days each year to mark Valentine’s Day.

Across spacious grounds that gradually climb in height, the park showcases fifteen reproductions of historic Chinese stone tablets, each inscribed with texts that mainly describe, or recount legends of, various Chinese dynastic periods. The original tablets, dating from 156 to 841 CE, are preserved as national treasures in China.

Ascend the slope rising toward the park, guarded along its center by sculptures of fearsome-looking beasts, to get the sense that you are crossing over into a different realm. On the park grounds, the architecture is based upon that of China’s Tang Dynasty (618-907). It was around this period that Japan developed the kanbun writing system that utilized Chinese characters.

Looking at the characters inscribed on the tablets, even those who do not speak Japanese may recognize similarities to the characters seen everywhere in Japan. The texts inscribed are helpfully explained by push-button audio guides in English, Japanese, and Chinese. You are free to take rubbings from the tablets, something forbidden with their originals.