ハナベルツ記念日本庭園 Bälz Japanese Garden
シュミット・村木・真寿美氏が、明治のお雇外国人でドイツ医学を日本にもたらしたベルツ博士のハナ夫人の取材で知った、チェコ・カルロビ・ヴァリ(カールスバード)での大戦末期に生じた民族間の悲劇に心を痛め、ドイツとチェコ、日本と西洋等の間の理解を深めるモニュメントとする発想のもとに進められた日本庭園作庭プロジェクト。カールスバードはボヘミアの高名な温泉地であり、博士は日本で温泉の効用を西洋医学の見地から奨励し、群馬県草津の湯をカールスバードに例えて称えた。草津の湯の発展は博士によるところが大きい。愛知とこのプロジェクトの関係はハナ夫人の出身が愛知県豊川市であり、氏の想いに愛知県の造園組合が感銘を受けて、行政抜きの全くの民間プロジェクトで行った。
庭園は、日本庭園の蓬莱庭園の様式を借り、東洋と西洋の和合を表現している。巴色の2つの石は西洋と日本を表し、宝船はハナ夫人の洋行の船に見立てている。岩島も同夫人に見立てた。また、三尊石は阿弥陀、灯籠は釈迦とし、浄土への道を二河白道(にがびゃくどう)の庭に重ねて表現している。悲劇を鎮魂する想いを込めた石灯籠は、草津町が寄贈したものである。
資料出典および備考
1) http://www.karlovyvary.cz/static/mista_6.asp?langld=2&kol=4
Dr. Ervin Bälz was invited by the Japanese government to bring German medical science to Japan. When Masumi Schmidt-Muraki, a Japanese woman living in Munich, interviewed Hana Bälz, the doctor’s wife, who was also born in Japan, she learned of the doctor’s sympathy and sadness regarding the tragedy that happened between Germany and the Czech town of Karlovy Vary (Carlsbad) at the end of the World War II (all German citizens were forcibly expelled, in accordance with the Potsdam Agreement). Mrs. Schmidt-Muraki was inspired to create a Japanese garden in Carlsbad. The aim of this garden was to deepen understanding between Germany and the Czech Republic, as well as between Japan and western countries.
Carlsbad is a city in Bohemia which is famous for its hot springs. Dr. Bälz encouraged the effectiveness of the hot springs in Japan from a western medical point of view, and encouraged the use of the hot springs in Kusatsu, Gunma prefecture, much as the hot springs in Carlsbad were used. The progress made in developing the Kusatsu hot springs was very much due to the work of Dr. Bälz. The gardening association of Aichi, impressed by his views, decided to support the construction of a Japanese garden in Carlsbad without funding from the local government. The relationship between Aichi and this project was the fact that Toyokawa, Aichi was Hana Bälz’s hometown.
The garden uses the Horai style to represent unity between the Eastern and Western worlds. Two comma-shaped stones stand for these worlds, and a Takarabune (treasure-boat) stands for the ship on which Dr. Bälz traveled to reach Japan. The stone island may also be interpreted as symbolizing his wife, Hana. A triad of stones represents the Amitabha Buddha, a lantern represents the Buddha Shakyamuni, and the way to the Pure Land is represented by the Nigabyakudo (path of two white streams) in the garden. The stone garden lantern, a memorial for the tragedy of World War II, was donated by the town of Kusatsu.