Matoishi tea house garden is a place that were heavily damaged by the Kumamoto earthquake in 2016. The stone torii collapsed and the shrine at the end of the garden was about to.
I had the chance to go there recently and was pleasantly surprised to see how well it was renovated. A brand new torii is now standing at the entrance and the shrine that looked like the tower of Pisa just after the earthquake is now completely restored. Note that the shrine itself is called Hayataka Tenmangu.
This garden is best to see in fall, when the leaves are turning red, but I think it is also worth a visit at any time of the year. There is no public transportation to go to Matoishi tea house garden, but if you have the chance to have a car or event just a bike, I really recommend you to visit this area of Aso!
See you soon in Aso!
Franck.
