Parks & GardensOchanomizu, Yushima, Korakuen

Koishikawa Korakuen（Koishikawa Korakuen Gardens)

cherry blossom viewingpicnicleaves changing color (colour)

This garden was created in 1629, in the early Edo period, by Yorifusa Tokugawa, the first lord of the Mito Tokugawa family, and completed by Mitsukuni, the second lord of the Mito Tokugawa family. It is the oldest feudal lord’s garden completed in the Edo period, and is designated as a Special Historic Site and a Special Place of Scenic Beauty by the national government. Based on Mitsukuni’s Confucian philosophy, the opinions of the Ming Confucian scholar Chu Shun-sui were incorporated into the garden, and the Chinese taste is evident throughout the landscape. The name of the garden, “Korakuen,” was also derived from Chinese teachings. The garden is a kaiyushiki style garden with a large fountain that imitates Lake Biwa, and mountains, rivers, and rice paddies that resemble scenic spots in various regions are skillfully expressed in the garden. Weeping cherry trees over 60 years old and the Engetsu Bridge, which looks like a full moon when reflected on the water, are also highlights of the garden.

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