is a Tokyo metropolitan park in Bunkyō-ku. The name ''Rikugi-en'' means "Garden of the Six Principles", referring to the six elements in '' waka'' poetry, based on the traditional division of Chinese poetry into six categories. The gardens consist of a small pond, trees, and a hill.

History

The construction of the gardens took place between 1695 and 1702, and was headed by

Yanagisawa Yoshiyasu was a Japanese samurai of the Edo period. He was an official in the Tokugawa shogunate and a favourite of the fifth shōgun, Tokugawa Tsunayoshi. His second concubine was Ogimachi Machiko, a writer and scholar from the noble court who wrote ...

by permission of the fifth Tokugawa shōgun Tokugawa Tsunayoshi. It is a typical example of a daimyo garden from the Edo period. After the death of Yanagisawa, it was neglected. The founder of Mitsubishi,

Iwasaki Yatarō was a Japanese industrialist and financier known as the founder of Mitsubishi, one of Japan's largest conglomerates. Early life Iwasaki Yatarō was born on 9 January 1835 in Aki, Tosa Province (now Kōchi Prefecture) into a provincial farmin ...

, bought the gardens in 1878 and began to restore it. This was continued by his younger brother and successor, Iwasaki Yanosuke. The gardens today are about one-third of their original size. In 1938, they were donated to the Tokyo City government. They were specified as a by the Japanese government in 1953.

Access

The gardens are open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. They are a short walk from Komagome Station on the JR Yamanote line and the Tokyo Metro Namboku Line. There are no

parking lot A parking lot (American English) or car park (British English), also known as a car lot, is a cleared area intended for parking vehicles. The term usually refers to an area dedicated only for parking, with a durable or semi-durable surface ...

s. General admission (

junior high school A middle school (also known as intermediate school, junior high school, junior secondary school, or lower secondary school) is an educational stage which exists in some countries, providing education between primary school and secondary school ...

and above) is 300 yen. People over 65 pay 150 yen, and students under junior high school age (and junior high school students living or studying in the Tokyo metropolitan area) may enter for free.

Illuminations

For short periods during spring and autumn the cherry blossoms and autumn foliage respectively are temporarily lit up and the gardens remain open until 9 p.m.Hanaway, To
Fall Evening Illumination at Rikugien Gardens September 24. 2014
'' The Japan Times'' Retrieved on March 23, 2016

References

Bibliography

External links