LUXE Magazine – Minori Murayama at Karuizawa Lake Garden

In this exclusive LUXE Magazine feature, we enter the enchanted world of Japan’s most extraordinary head gardener, where the boundaries between human and nature dissolve into something transcendent.

In the heart of Karuizawa’s pristine wilderness lies a 33,000-square-meter sanctuary that defies conventional understanding of what a garden can be. Here, Minori Murayama doesn’t merely tend to plants, she communes with the very essence of life itself, creating what can only be described as a living masterpiece where every breath of wind carries the whispers of souls.

Unlike traditional gardeners who focus solely on aesthetics, Minori has elevated her craft to an almost mystical art form. She speaks of moments when plants “shine their brightest”, fleeting instances when buds catch the light in ways that reveal nature’s deepest secrets. These are experiences, she explains, that belong exclusively to those who dedicate their lives to understanding the language of growing things.

What sets Minori apart in the luxury landscape experience is her revolutionary approach to garden stewardship. She doesn’t simply maintain the Lake Garden; she orchestrates a symphony of life that includes Japanese hares born within the sanctuary, squirrels that trust her enough to feed from her hand, and migrating butterflies that travel 1,500 kilometers, finding refuge in the Eupatorium japonicum she plants specifically for their journey.

The garden reveals its treasures through Minori’s eyes: the Great Spotted Woodpecker who begs for breakfast from the treetops each winter morning, the Daurian Redstarts who feast on poisonous fruits no other creature dares touch, and the seasonal arrival of Siberian thrushes that signal her duty to prepare for winter’s embrace. Each creature, each plant, exists within her carefully orchestrated ecosystem of mutual care and respect.

Her philosophy transcends mere horticulture. Minori’s tears, shed not for human drama but for trampled flowers and lost wildlife, represent something profound about our disconnection from nature. She understands that true luxury isn’t about ownership or display, but about witnessing the miraculous crystallization of life in a single unfurling leaf or the strength of ancient trees reaching skyward.

This remarkable blend of spiritual sensitivity, professional expertise, and deep ecological understanding shows how Minori is redefining what it means to create luxury experiences with the natural world. At Karuizawa Lake Garden, she offers something increasingly rare: genuine communion with the breathing, living soul of the earth itself.