The first Japanese law for the preservation of historic art and architecture was enacted in 1897, to protect the ancient temples and shrines. In time, the law was changed to include other categories and several lists were created to protect Natural Monuments, Historic Sites and Places of Scenic Beauty (meisho in Japanese). Today there are 340 meisho and, among them, there’s a smaller list defining an even higher classification: 36 Special Places of Scenic Beauty (tokubetsu meisho).

The Hama-rikyu Gardens in Tokyo, photographed here with the Shiodome skyscrapers in the background, is a typical Daimyo garden built during the Edo period, and was listed as tokubetsu meisho in 1952.

Nakajima no Ochaya, Hama-rikyu Gardens, Tokyo

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Yesterday’s Japan Photo: The origin of Kitsune statues