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 […]
Rikugien（六義園 ）
A Classical Edo-Period Garden Rooted in Poetry Rikugien（六義園）is one of Tokyo’s most elegant and refined Edo-period strolling gardens, located in the quiet neighborhood of Komagome in Bunkyo ward. Built between 1695 and 1702 by Yanagisawa Yoshiyasu—a samurai official under shogun Tokugawa Tsunayoshi—the garden was inspired by classical Waka poetry and originally featured 88 miniature scenes […]
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 […]
Murin-an（無鄰菴）
A Meiji-Period Strolling Garden in Kyoto Murin-an (無鄰菴) is a beautifully preserved strolling garden from the Meiji period (1868–1912). Built between 1894 and 1896 by Yamagata Aritomo, it reflects a harmonious blend of Japanese tradition and Western influence. Although Yamagata admired classical Japanese gardens, he was equally captivated by Western ideas. This unique blend is […]
Kenroku-en（兼六園）
A Masterpiece of Japanese Garden Design Kenroku-en（兼六園）is one of the Three Great Gardens of Japan, located in Kanazawa, Ishikawa Prefecture. Built in the Edo period (1603–1868) by the ruling Maeda daimyo clan, Kenroku-en once served as the outer garden of Kanazawa Castle. Today, it remains one of the finest and most celebrated examples of Japanese […]
Kairaku-en（偕楽園）
One of Japan’s Three Great Gardens Kairaku-en is a famous strolling garden located in Mito City, Ibaraki Prefecture. It was created in 1841 by Tokugawa Nariaki, the ninth feudal lord of the Mito Domain. Unlike many gardens built for nobility or religious purposes, Kairaku-en was intended for the public. Hence, the name “garden to be […]