The name – Ro Ho En is a combination of three Japanese words. Ro means Heron, a bird symbol of Himeji City. Shira Sagi Jou, or the White Heron, is a 300-year-old medieval castle in Himeji. Ho is the Japanese word for the city of mythical Phoenix bird. En means garden.
We enjoyed a guided tour through the garden and then tea at the Tea House. The tea ceremonies are held once a month on a Saturday, reservations required. I was thrilled that we had "matcha", because I have that type of tea and get lumps! I asked about it and the answer was given. I will no longer have lumpy matcha tea. Yea!
The name of the garden hangs over the entrance.
