Kairakuen Garden
偕乐园 · Ibaraki Prefecture · Mito City
Counted with Kenroku-en in Kanazawa and Korakuen in Okayama as one of Japan's Three Great Gardens; its plum grove holds about 100 varieties, with white, pink and red blossoms opening one after another from late February to March.
Know before you go
- Blocking paths while taking photographs
- shaking or breaking plum branches
- leaving picnic rubbish in the plum grove
This article is Not yet verified. Please check official announcements for prices, opening hours and dates.
Stories & people
Stories & people
History
A Garden Built for Everyone
Unlike the other two great gardens, Kairakuen was intended from the start to be enjoyed by the public. At first, however, it was mainly the samurai class who entered, and ordinary people were admitted only on certain days each year. After the Meiji Restoration the garden became government property; it was renamed Tokiwa Park in 1873 and took back the name Kairakuen in 1948.
Source: Wikipedia: Kairaku-en
History
Kobuntei Burned and Rebuilt
Kobuntei is a three-storey pavilion that was used for poetry gatherings and tea ceremonies. It burned down during the bombing of Mito in 1945 and was restored in 1958.
Source: Wikipedia: Kairaku-en
Culture
Culture & customs
Background
Kairakuen is in Mito City, Ibaraki Prefecture. Besides the plum grove, the garden has bamboo and cedar groves and the three-storey Kobuntei pavilion. Kairakuen was built in 1842 by Tokugawa Nariaki, lord of the Mito domain, and was designated a national Historic Site and Place of Scenic Beauty in 1922. After the Meiji Restoration, Tokiwa Shrine was built within its grounds.
Local customs
- Wander the plum grove in plum-blossom season to see white, pink and red blossoms
- climb Kobuntei to take in the garden
- visit Tokiwa Shrine in the grounds along the way, and in April see the cherry blossoms on Sakurayama, across the railway tracks.
Etiquette & taboos
Etiquette & taboos
Don’t DON'T
- Blocking paths while taking photographs
- shaking or breaking plum branches
- leaving picnic rubbish in the plum grove
Locals appreciate DO
- Make way for other visitors when taking photographs
- keep the plum grove clean
- keep quiet when worshipping at Tokiwa Shrine
Plan your visit
Practical info
Travel tips
- Kairakuen, Korakuen in Okayama and Kenroku-en in Kanazawa are in different cities, so do not confuse them. Plum-blossom season is crowded, so arrive early
- opening arrangements are subject to official announcements.
- Take the JR Joban Line to Mito Station, then take a bus
- Kairakuen Station on the JR Joban Line opens only during plum-blossom season. Plum-blossom season runs from late February to March, and the cherry blossoms on Sakurayama are in full bloom in April.
Photos
Photos
Σ64 · CC BY 4.0
Kanohara · Public domain
Sources & verification notes
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