Morino Kyu-Yakuen is a historic medicinal herb garden located in Kami-Shin, Ouda, Uda City, Nara Prefecture. Established during the Kyoho era (1716–1736), it is designated a National Historic Site and is an exceptionally valuable part of Japan’s cultural heritage. Comparable in age to the Koishikawa Medicinal Herb Garden in Edo, now part of Koishikawa Botanical Garden in Tokyo, it is regarded as the oldest surviving private botanical garden in Japan. More than 250 varieties of medicinal plants and trees grow here, offering visitors an opportunity to discover traditional herbal knowledge while enjoying the changing scenery of the seasons.
The Morino family has long been established in the former Yamato Province, in the Matsuyama area of Uda District, now part of Ouda in Uda City. For generations, the family has been engaged in producing Yoshino kudzu, a fine starch made from the roots of the kudzu vine and prized in traditional Japanese cuisine.
In 1729, during the Kyoho era, Morino Michisada, the 11th head of the family and the first to use the name Tosuke, accompanied Uemura Masakatsu, a scholar of traditional herbal medicine who served the shogunate as a medicinal plant collector. Together, they gathered medicinal plants in the mountains and countryside of the Kinki region, Mino, and Hokuriku.
In recognition of his work, Michisada received six valuable medicinal plant species from the shogunate. He planted them on the hillside behind his home, establishing the garden that would become Morino Yakuen. Since then, successive generations of the Morino family have continued to cultivate and study medicinal plants, carefully preserving the garden and its connection to the Edo period.
Morino Kyu-Yakuen was designated a National Historic Site on February 24, 1926, and the designation was extended in 1931. After the Meiji period, the spread of Western medicine led to the closure of many traditional medicinal gardens. Morino Kyu-Yakuen is particularly rare because it has retained much of its historical character and original function.
Japan’s Agency for Cultural Affairs has recognized the garden as an excellent example of a medicinal garden that preserves its traditional Edo-period appearance. The grounds also contain Togaku-an, a small memorial structure dedicated to Morino Michisada and his wife, along with commemorative stone monuments that reflect the garden’s long history.
The garden extends across approximately 600 square meters of sloping hillside, where a wide variety of plants valued for their medicinal properties are carefully cultivated. Each plant is labeled with its name and information about its traditional uses, allowing visitors to learn about herbal medicine as they explore the grounds.
In spring, the garden comes alive with flowers such as dogtooth violets, fritillarias, and epimediums. Particularly lovely are the purple dogtooth violets that bloom in early April. These flowers have a special connection to the Morino family’s history, as the family once produced katakuriko, a starch traditionally made from the roots of the dogtooth violet.
Summer brings the bright flowers of tiger lilies, Japanese angelica, safflowers, and other plants. Some of the herbs cultivated here are valued in traditional medicine for their fragrance or their traditional use in soothing coughs. The garden offers a chance to appreciate both the beauty of these plants and their historical role in Japanese herbal knowledge.
In autumn, saffron, Japanese gentian, and aconite are among the plants that attract attention. Winter brings delicate flowers such as adonis and Coptis japonica, a traditional medicinal herb. Their ability to emerge and bloom in cold weather offers a striking reminder of nature’s resilience and the changing cycles of life.
In the late Edo period, the Uda Matsuyama area had approximately 1,000 households, many of which were involved in businesses connected with medicine. Shops selling traditional Japanese remedies, medicinal liquors, and compounded medicines lined the streets, and the district flourished as a regional center for medicinal products.
Morino Kyu-Yakuen is an important link to this heritage. The garden reflects the long-standing relationship between the area’s plant resources, traditional medical knowledge, and local commerce. A visit can be combined with a walk through the historic streets of Uda Matsuyama, where traces of the old merchant town remain.
The Morino family continues its traditional work today through Morino Yoshino Kudzu Honpo, which produces and sells premium Yoshino hon-kudzu starch. From beside the shop, visitors can pass the area where kudzu starch is traditionally washed and purified, then climb the stone steps to reach the medicinal herb garden. The route offers a memorable combination of traditional craftsmanship, history, and nature.
Yoshino hon-kudzu is produced using a traditional process known as Yoshino-zarashi. During the coldest part of winter, kudzu starch is repeatedly purified and dried using only groundwater. The process removes impurities without additives, resulting in a natural food product prized for its exceptionally fine texture, smooth mouthfeel, and translucent finish when prepared.
Pure kudzu starch has long been valued as a nourishing food in Japan and is traditionally associated with warming and restorative qualities. The cold winters of Ouda and its clean groundwater provide favorable conditions for producing high-quality starch. The careful, labor-intensive method reflects generations of accumulated expertise.
At Kuzunoyakata, the Morino family’s Nishiyama factory, visitors will find a shop selling kudzu products as well as Kuzumian, a tea room where they can sample sweets made with pure kudzu starch. Offerings include freshly prepared kuzukiri, translucent kudzu noodles served as a dessert, kudzu mochi, traditional warabi mochi made with bracken starch, and kuzuyu, a warm, gently thickened kudzu drink.
Kuzukiri is especially appealing when served with the shop’s special dark sugar syrup, which complements its delicate flavor and beautiful transparency. Kudzu mochi has a satisfyingly springy texture and is often enjoyed with deeply roasted soybean flour. After exploring the medicinal herb garden, taking a break here is a wonderful way to experience another part of the region’s culinary heritage.
From Haibara Station on the Kintetsu Osaka Line, take a bus bound for Ouda. Get off at the final stop, Ouda, and walk for approximately five minutes to reach the garden. Located near a historic road, Morino Kyu-Yakuen is an excellent stop to combine with a stroll through the traditional streets of Uda Matsuyama.
Morino Kyu-Yakuen is more than a sightseeing destination. It is a living cultural heritage site that preserves the history of Japanese herbal scholarship, traditional medicinal practices, and the local community. The spirit of medicinal plant research that began in the Edo period continues alongside the Morino family’s centuries-old tradition of producing Yoshino kudzu.
As the plants change with the seasons, the garden offers new discoveries on every visit. Take time to explore its peaceful paths, learn about the plants that have supported traditional Japanese medicine, and enjoy the historic atmosphere of Uda Matsuyama. Together, the garden and the surrounding town provide a fascinating glimpse into the close relationship between nature, knowledge, and everyday life in Japan.