is a Japanese garden located in

Mito Mito may refer to: Places *Mito, Ibaraki, capital city of Ibaraki Prefecture, Japan *Mito, Aichi, a Japanese town *Mito, Shimane, a Japanese town * Mitō, Yamaguchi, a Japanese town * Mito District, a district in the province of Concepción, Per ...

, Ibaraki Prefecture,

Japan Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...

. Along with Kenroku-en and Koraku-en, it is considered one of the Three Great Gardens of Japan.

Overview

Kairaku-en was built in the year 1842 by Tokugawa Nariaki, '' daimyō'' of Mito Domain. Unlike Japan's other two great gardens, Kairaku-en was originally intended to serve for the enjoyment of the public, by which Tokugawa Nariaki meant the samurai class. Ordinary commoners were admitted only on certain dates each year. The gardens are especially noted for the plum blossom season, which usually takes place in late February and March. Besides the plum tree grove, where one hundred different plum tree varieties with white, pink and red blossoms are planted, Kairaku-en also features a bamboo grove, cedar grove, and the ''Kobuntei'', a three-story pavilion for use in poetry contests and for the

Japanese tea ceremony The Japanese tea ceremony (known as or ) is a Japanese cultural activity involving the ceremonial preparation and presentation of , powdered green tea, the procedure of which is called . While in the West it is known as "tea ceremony", it is se ...

. Following the Meiji restoration, the park became property of the Japanese government, and the

Tokiwa Jinja is a Shinto shrine adjacent to the gardens of Kairakuen in Mito, Ibaraki, Japan. Founded in 1874, enshrined are Tokugawa Mitsukuni, second ''daimyō'' of the Mito Domain and compiler of Dai Nihonshi, and Tokugawa Nariaki, ninth lord and founder ...

, a

Shinto shrine A is a structure whose main purpose is to house ("enshrine") one or more ''kami'', the deities of the Shinto religion. Overview Structurally, a Shinto shrine typically comprises several buildings. The '' honden''Also called (本殿, meani ...

was built within its grounds. The garden was officially renamed Tokiwa Park in 1873. In 1922 it was designated a National Historic Site and also a National

Place of Scenic Beauty is a collective term used by the Japanese government's Law for the Protection of Cultural Properties to denote Cultural Properties of JapanIn this article, capitals indicate an official designation as opposed to a simple definition, e.g "Cultural ...

. The Kobuntei pavilion burned down in 1945 during the bombing of Mito in World War II, but was restored in 1958. The name of the park was also officially changed to "Kairaku-en" in 1948. The total area of the park is 300 hectares. It is served by Kairaku-en Station on the

JR East The is a major passenger railway company in Japan and is the largest of the seven Japan Railways Group companies. The company name is officially abbreviated as JR-EAST or JR East in English, and as in Japanese. The company's headquarters are ...

Jōban Line, but the station is only open during the plum blossom season. Sakurayama, noted for its cherry blossoms in April, is part of the park area, but is located on the opposite side of the train tracks.

Four seasons

Kairaku-en is famous for its plum tree blossoms, which can be enjoyed year-round. In spring, the park also has a great deal of ''sakura'', or cherry blossoms. The park is also famous for its ''koyo'', or autumn leaves. The full area of the park is 58 hectares, and features a variety of different flora and fauna.

Gallery

File:Kairaku-en old front gate.jpg, Old front gate File:Kairaku-en bamboo grove and cedar woods.jpg, Bamboo grove and cedar woods File:Koubuntei.JPG, Koubuntei File:Kairakuen Kobuntei.jpg, Koubuntei File:Kairaku-en plum tree forest.jpg, Plum trees File:Kairaku-en south garden.jpg, South garden File:Kairaku-en Kobuntei view form extension ground.jpg, Kairaku-en Park and Koubuntei File:The perspective of the Senba Lake from Senekidai.jpg,

Lake Senba is a lake in Mito, Ibaraki, Japan. The lake is part of Senba Park. It is located next to Kairaku-en, a large park built in the Edo period known for its large number of plum blossoms. The Ibaraki Prefectural Cultural Center is also located nearby ...

References

External links

Kairaku-en official website

Real Japanese Garden
{{Authority control Gardens in Japan Mito, Ibaraki Gardens in Ibaraki Prefecture Historic Sites of Japan Places of Scenic Beauty 1842 establishments in Japan

Overview

Four seasons

Gallery

See also

References

External links