MangoVine - Scenic Japanese Landscapes at the Historic Koishikawa Koraku Garden

18 May, 2009
Monday

The Koishikawa Korakuen Garden is a 70,000 square metre formal Japanese garden reachable via the Iidabashi metro station. Its one of Tokyo's most beautiful gardens and less visited by foreigners apparently, so we make a beeline for the place.

Completed during the Edo Period, the Koishikawa Korakuen Garden is certainly no ordinary green space.

The inclusion of a central pond and small hills make the paths interesting and lengthy enough to explore, but short enough that you can still navigate through within 30 minutes (via a 750 metre route).

A longer course takes in more of the grounds at around an hour covering 1,400 metres.

This is the kind of place that I tend to like visiting within a city. It's presents a nice balance against an often hectic urban scenery. Throughout the year, species of plants and trees are scheduled to bloom, though the permanent elements of the garden include concepts incorporated from a Chinese Confucian scholar of the Ming Dynasty. There's a garden reproduction of Seiko Lake in China, a "Full Moon" bridge (depicting the moon when seen with its reflection) and other features with cultural origins in China.

"Korakuen" apparently means 'the garden of later enjoyment', which comes from a Chinese proverb about maintaining power first and then enjoying it later.

Korakuen was designated as a special place of scenic beauty and a special historic site based on Japan's Law for Preservation of Cultural Assets. In all of Japan, there are only seven sites which share the double designation by this Law, so you know that the Koishikawa Korakuen Garden must be something special.

Watch a short clip of part of the Koishikawa Korakuen Garden below:

More Koishikawa Korakuen Garden photos on Flickr

This entry posted in : Attractions. Japan. Tourism.

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Scenic Japanese Landscapes at the Historic Koishikawa Koraku Garden

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