Laid out between 1906 and 1910 by Japanese master gardener Tassa Eida and his son Minoru, these gardens at the Irish National Stud are considered among the finest Japanese gardens in Europe. The design traces the journey of the human soul from birth to death and into eternity — a series of symbolic landscapes including the Garden of Oblivion, the Hill of Ambition, and the Gateway to Eternity. Cherry blossom in spring turns the whole place into something out of a woodblock print.
The gardens are set within the National Stud grounds south of Kildare town. Admission includes access to the stud farm itself and to St Fiachra's Garden next door.