Until recent years the Hotta-no-Niwa,�a Tokio garden belonging to the Daimio of Sakura, in the province of Shimosa,�was one of the most elaborate city gardens. Unfortunately it no longer exists, having been broken up and the material conveyed elsewhere. As in almost all first class gardens, an extensive lake formed the central feature. Around this were winding walks and intercepting mounds and hillocks sloping down to the water's edge to terminate in sandy beaches adorned with enormous stone slabs, rocks, and graceful lanterns. The garden hills were covered with a number of evergreen bushes clipped into spherical and trailing shapes, and interspersed with curious rocks and granite standard-lanterns. In the lower illustration on Plate XVII. may be observed the principal vertical rock of the garden, situated in front of the main hillock, in the background. The steps and stones below it are arranged in such a way as to suggest, to those acquainted with the rules of Japanese landscape gardening, the cascade-inlet of the lake. At one point a trellis of wistaria creepers overhangs the water, and on the opposite side a raised gallery forms a cool summer retreat. In the foreground of the upper illustration may be noticed a characteristic leaning pine-tree with an attenuated branch trained over a stone lantern of the Snow-scene class. The distance displays a curious stone bridge consisting of long granite slabs supported upon wooden piles driven into the bed of the stream. This garden may be taken as a very good example of the style of Hill Garden formerly very common in the thickly populated districts near the river and canals of Tokio. The water of the neighbouring river is utilised to form the lake, and the noise and unsightliness of the crowded streets outside are excluded by a boundary of high hillocks giving the garden the appearance of a secluded country spot.
