Sankei-en（三溪園）
A Modern Garden Preserving Japan’s Architectural Heritage Sankei-en is a spacious traditional Japanese landscape garden located in Yokohama. Though one of Japan’s youngest gardens, it reflects centuries of history through its carefully transplanted buildings and timeless design. The garden was created by Sankei Hara, a wealthy silk merchant, who began construction in 1902 and opened […]
Shinjuku Gyoen（新宿御苑）
A Garden Retreat in the Heart of Tokyo Shinjuku Gyoen is one of Tokyo’s largest and most diverse parks, featuring one of the city’s most beautiful Japanese gardens. Located just steps away from Shinjuku Station, this vast landscape blends tradition and modernity with ease. It includes a Japanese garden, a formal French garden, and an […]
Koishikawa Korakuen（小石川後楽園）
Edo-Period Garden Tranquility in the Heart of Tokyo Koishikawa Kōrakuen（小石川後楽園）is one of Tokyo’s oldest surviving gardens, a beautifully preserved example of an Edo-period strolling garden. Begun in 1629 by Tokugawa Yorifusa, the son of Shogun Tokugawa Ieyasu, it was completed in 1669 by his son Tokugawa Mitsukuni, with the guidance of the Chinese Confucian scholar […]
Hamarikyu Teien（浜離宮恩賜庭園）
A Strolling Garden by Tokyo Bay with Shogunal History Hamarikyū Teien is a spacious Edo-period strolling garden located along Tokyo Bay. Originally designed by the Tokugawa shogunate, the garden reflects the power and refinement of the era. Its tidal ponds are unique—connected to the bay, the water levels rise and fall with the tide, creating […]
Kyu-Shiba-Rikyu Teien（旧芝離宮庭園）
A Samurai Garden Amid Tokyo’s Skyline Kyū-Shibarikyū is one of Tokyo’s oldest surviving pond-strolling gardens (回遊式泉水庭園), created in the Edo period on land reclaimed from Tokyo Bay in 1658. Originally the residence of Ōkubo Tadatomo, a daimyō and official of the Tokugawa shogunate, the garden follows a layout typical of samurai-style architecture (武家造, Buke-zukuri). After […]
Erin-ji（恵林寺）
Zen Gardens and Samurai History Erin-ji Temple in Yamanashi is a quiet yet historically significant Zen temple, surrounded by the peaceful beauty of the mountains. It was founded in 1330, when Nikaidō Sadafuji, the military governor of Kai-no-kuni, invited the renowned Zen priest and garden designer Musō Soseki (夢窓 疎石), also known as Musō Kokushi, […]
Shugaku-in Rikyu（修学院離宮）
Kyoto’s Imperial Garden Retreat with Spectacular Borrowed Scenery Shūgaku-in Rikyū is a unique imperial garden in Kyoto, featuring three separate gardens rather than a single cohesive layout. These gardens are connected by scenic gravel paths that wind through rice fields and farmland, creating a serene contrast to Kyoto’s more formal palace grounds. In the mid-17th […]
Kyoto Gosho (Kyoto Imperial Palace)（京都御所）
From Ancient Seat to Serene Garden The Kyoto Imperial Palace was the residence of Japan’s emperors for over a thousand years. From the Heian period (794–1185) until the end of the Edo period (1603–1868), this palace was the heart of the imperial court. However, after the Edo period ended, the Emperor (Tenno) and his court […]
Shisen-do（詩仙堂）
A Poet’s Retreat in the Hills of Kyoto Shisen-dō (詩仙堂), nestled in the northern hills of Kyoto, offers a peaceful escape shaped by poetry and nature. Built in 1641 as a retirement villa by Ishikawa Jōzan—a poet, calligrapher, and former samurai—this site later became a Sōtō Zen temple. Today, it remains a beloved destination for […]
Koraku-en（後楽園）
A Tranquil Masterpiece in Okayama Kōraku-en, located in Okayama City, is one of the Three Great Gardens of Japan. The other gardens are called Kenroku-en in Kanazawa and Kairaku-en in Mito. This stunning landscape garden was constructed in 1700 during the Edo period under the order of Ikeda Tsunamasa. Tsunamasa was the feudal lord of […]