Koishikawa Korakuen eBook – Discover Tokyo’s Historic Garden
From today on, our new eBook about the daimyo garden Koishikawa Kōrakuen is available!
This daimyo garden is one of the two most famous Japanese gardens in Tokyo and an outstanding example of an Edo period strolling garden (kaiyū-shiki teien). Edo strolling gardens combined elements from earlier garden styles into a pre-set walking route. Unlike gardens designed around a single main feature, every part of the route was equally important.
The concept of strolling gardens
Edo gardens can be compared to pilgrim routes such as the 88 temples of Shikoku or the 33 temples in Kyoto. Each stop on the pilgrimage is equally significant, without a clear starting or ending point. Similarly, in strolling gardens, visitors experience a circuit route where every view has value.
A key element of Edo gardens was shukkei (not to be confused with shakkei). Shukkei is the representation of famous landscapes or cultural sites in miniature form. They were not exact replicas, but symbolic versions that Edo-period visitors immediately recognised. A well-known example in Koishikawa Kōrakuen is the symbolic dam of West Lake in Hangzhou, China.
Inspiration from culture and play
The popularity of symbolic landscapes was also reflected in the Edo board game Sugoroku, where players travelled across Japan’s famous sights on the game board. Just as the game inspired imaginary travel, strolling gardens allowed visitors to “travel” through different landscapes in one walk.
The history of Koishikawa Kōrakuen
The garden was first created by Tokugawa Yorifusa, lord of the Mito clan. His third son Tokugawa Mitsukuni later completed the work. Like many Edo strolling gardens, Koishikawa Kōrakuen was not planned in full from the beginning. Instead, it evolved gradually, with each generation adding or redesigning elements.
Typical features of Edo strolling gardens also appear here:
- Half of the route circles the pond, the other half passes through forests and artificial hills.
- Climbable hills, such as the symbolic Mount Lu (Ro), became a new garden innovation.
- Smooth pond shorelines replaced earlier stone arrangements and pebble beaches.
- Crane and turtle islands became less common, often appearing only singly.
- Large symbolic stones represented sacred mountains such as Mount Hōrai, or appeared in Yin-Yang arrangements.
- Plants gained importance, with orchards, fields, and rare flowers cultivated to showcase wealth and refinement.
All these elements can be found at Koishikawa Kōrakuen Garden, making it one of the finest surviving Edo gardens in Japan.
Get the Koishikawa Kōrakuen eBook
Until you can visit in person—or as an additional guide during your walk through the garden—our 23-page Koishikawa Kōrakuen eBook provides detailed explanations and scenic photographs of every highlight.oishikawa Kōrakuen, delivered in pdf for only 4.95$!
Koishikawa Kōrakuen Garden Guide
This eBook explores the design and history of Koishikawa Kōrakuen in Tokyo.
Perfect for garden enthusiasts, urban explorers, and cultural travelers.
Discover this peaceful Edo garden nestled beside the bustle of modern Tokyo.
Learn more before you visit—or revisit from home.
Visiting Tokyo? Take your Koishikawa Kōrakuen experience to the next level by booking a guided tour with us!
With twelve years of professional landscaping experience under her belt, Anika Ogusu is your perfect guide to the world of Japanese gardens. Her love of nature began early, in the woods near her childhood home and the garden of her grandmother’s house. During her teenage years she developed a strong interest in Japanese culture, and after university she decided to combine her love of Japan and gardens into a profession. Anika started her career as chief gardener in charge of the perennial valley at the Botanical Garden in Hamburg, Germany, then moved to Tokyo in pursuit of her dream. For two years she apprenticed under local landscape designers and learned the art of Japanese garden design, construction and maintenance. Now, in partnership with Real Japanese Gardens (www.japanesegardens.jp), her wish is to spread the magic of Japanese gardens to the rest of the world. Her in-depth guide books on gardens throughout Japan are available in eBook format or paperback. In her free time, Anika enjoys exploring her adopted country (especially green moss gardens), and soaking up nature and any details that interest her.
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With twelve years of professional landscaping experience under her belt, Anika Ogusu is your perfect guide to the world of Japanese gardens. Her love of nature began early, in the woods near her childhood home and the garden of her grandmother’s house. During her teenage years she developed a strong interest in Japanese culture, and after university she decided to combine her love of Japan and gardens into a profession. Anika started her career as chief gardener in charge of the perennial valley at the Botanical Garden in Hamburg, Germany, then moved to Tokyo in pursuit of her dream. For two years she apprenticed under local landscape designers and learned the art of Japanese garden design, construction and maintenance. Now, in partnership with Real Japanese Gardens (www.japanesegardens.jp), her wish is to spread the magic of Japanese gardens to the rest of the world. Her in-depth guide books on gardens throughout Japan are available in eBook format or paperback. In her free time, Anika enjoys exploring her adopted country (especially green moss gardens), and soaking up nature and any details that interest her.
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