is a

Japanese garden are traditional gardens whose designs are accompanied by Japanese aesthetics and philosophical ideas, avoid artificial ornamentation, and highlight the natural landscape. Plants and worn, aged materials are generally used by Japanese garden desi ...

located in Mito,

Ibaraki Prefecture is a prefecture of Japan located in the Kantō region of Honshu. Ibaraki Prefecture has a population of 2,871,199 (1 June 2019) and has a geographic area of . Ibaraki Prefecture borders Fukushima Prefecture to the north, Tochigi Prefecture ...

, Japan. Along with

Kenroku-en Kenroku-en (兼六園, Six Attributes Garden), located in Kanazawa, Ishikawa, Japan, is an old private garden. Along with Kairaku-en and Kōraku-en, Kenroku-en is one of the Three Great Gardens of Japan. The grounds are open year-round except ...

and Koraku-en, it is considered one of the

Three Great Gardens of Japan The , also known as "the three most famous gardens in Japan" are considered to include Kenroku-en in Kanazawa, Kōraku-en in Okayama and Kairaku-en in Mito. The conception of gardens in a group of three is found elsewhere, for example, in the th ...

Overview

Kairaku-en was built in the year 1842 by

Tokugawa Nariaki Tokugawa Nariaki (徳川斉昭, April 4, 1800 – September 29, 1860) was a prominent Japanese ''daimyō'' who ruled the Mito Domain (now Ibaraki Prefecture) and contributed to the rise of nationalism and the Meiji Restoration. Biography C ...

, ''

daimyō were powerful Japanese magnates, feudal lords who, from the 10th century to the early Meiji period in the middle 19th century, ruled most of Japan from their vast, hereditary land holdings. They were subordinate to the shogun and nominal ...

'' of

Mito Domain was a Japanese domain of the Edo period. It was associated with Hitachi Province in modern-day Ibaraki Prefecture.samurai were the hereditary military nobility and officer caste of medieval and early-modern Japan from the late 12th century until their abolition in 1876. They were the well-paid retainers of the '' daimyo'' (the great feudal landholders). They h ...

class. Ordinary commoners were admitted only on certain dates each year. The gardens are especially noted for the

plum blossom ''Prunus mume'' is an East Asian and Southeast Asian tree species classified in the ''Armeniaca'' section of the genus ''Prunus'' subgenus ''Prunus''. Its common names include Chinese plum, Japanese plum, and Japanese apricot. The flower, long ...

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 Bamboos are a diverse group of evergreen perennial flowering plants making up the subfamily Bambusoideae of the grass family Poaceae. Giant bamboos are the largest members of the grass family. The origin of the word "bamboo" is uncertain, ...

grove,

cedar Cedar may refer to: Trees and plants *''Cedrus'', common English name cedar, an Old-World genus of coniferous trees in the plant family Pinaceae *Cedar (plant), a list of trees and plants known as cedar Places United States * Cedar, Arizona * ...

grove, and the ''Kobuntei'', a three-story pavilion for use in poetry contests and for the Japanese tea ceremony. Following the

Meiji restoration The , referred to at the time as the , and also known as the Meiji Renovation, Revolution, Regeneration, Reform, or Renewal, was a political event that restored practical imperial rule to Japan in 1868 under Emperor Meiji. Although there were ...

, the park became property of the Japanese government, and the Tokiwa Jinja, a Shinto shrine 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. 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

Jōban Line The Jōban Line ( ja, 常磐線, ) is a railway line in Japan operated by the East Japan Railway Company (JR East). The line officially begins at Nippori Station in Arakawa, Tokyo before the line officially ends at Iwanuma Station in Iwanuma, ...

, but the station is only open during the plum blossom season. Sakurayama, noted for its

cherry blossoms A cherry blossom, also known as Japanese cherry or sakura, is a flower of many trees of genus ''Prunus'' or ''Prunus'' subg. ''Cerasus''. They are common species in East Asia, including China, Korea and especially in Japan. They generall ...

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

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