The Best of Japan: The Three Great Gardens!

Besides being one of the highly-industrialized nations in the world and a major contributor to top-of-the-line modern technology, Japan shows a major impact to world tourism. Blessed with Nature’s admirable beauties and rich in cultural treasures, Japan is a great travel destination for tourists! In this 7-part series, join this author to explore the “Land of the Rising Sun” enormous beautiful sceneries. Let’s start by touring Japan’s “Three Great Gardens”.

Kairakuen Garden

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Considered one of Japan’s great gardens, Kairaku-en Garden, is a sprawling 18-acre landscape garden located in Mito City, Ibaraki Prefecture. Sitting on top of a hill, this beautiful garden offers a panoramic view of its surrounding forests and lakes. Tokugawa Nariaki, a Mito clan lord, built the strolling garden in 1841.



Kairaku-en garden is popular for its 3000-plus Japanese plum trees. The best time to visit this garden is around March, where some 100 different cultivars of plum trees are in full bloom. Besides the red, white, and pink varieties of plum trees, the garden offers other eye-catching trees and plants. Depending on the season, visitors will have their time gazing at beautiful flame-red azalea, cherry blossoms, snow-white bush clover, magnolia and camellia.

Kairaku-en garden is open to the public all-year round. Entry to the large public park is free, but visitors will have to shell out 190 yen to enter the Kobun-tei. The garden is open from 9am to 5pm. The best mode of transportation is by train.

Kenrokuen Garden

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One of the many must-see sites in Kanazawa, Ishikawa, Japan, is the Kenroku-en (Six Attributes Garden), a strolling garden seated next to the Kanazawa Castle. Construction of the garden began in 1676 initiated by the ruling Maeda clan and only in May 7, 1874 that commoners had time to gazed at its beauty. Kenroku-en covers more than 25 acres that is filled of more 8,750 trees and more than 180 varieties of plants such as plum and cherry blossoms, Japanese maple trees, irises and azaleas.



Besides gazing at the beauty of the flowers and trees, Kenroku-en has much more to offer to visitors. These added attractions includes: ponds, rivers, waterfalls, streams, bridges, four teahouses, and stone lanterns. In particular, visitors should not miss these places; Meiji Monument, Neagari Matsu (Raised Roots Pine), the two-legged Kotoji-tōrō stone lantern, Gankō-bashi bridge, Kaiseki Pagoda, Shigure-tei tea houses, Hisago-ike, Kaisekito Pagoda, and Midori-taki Waterfall.

Kenroku-en is open to the public year-round where visitors can reach the place by means of buses. The garden is open from 9am – 5pm. Admission fee: Senior citizens (65 years old and over) and children below 6 years old – free of charge, Adults – 300 Yen, Individuals (6-18 years old) -100 Yen.

Kōrakuen Garden

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Located in Okayama, Okayama Prefecture, Kōraku-en ( the garden of later enjoyment), is an Edo era garden covering nearly 70,000-sq-meter. Famous for its plum trees and irises, the garden was constructed in 1700 by built by Tokugawa Yorifusa and was finished in the reign of Tokugawa Mitsukuni. Koraku-en is one of Tokyo’s most visited gardens.



Koraku-en which incorporates Chinese and Japanese sceneries contains more than 4000 trees and over 160 different varieties of flowering plants. These includes plum trees, maple trees, cherry trees, pine trees, nutmeg trees, irises, azaleas, lotuses, amaryllises and water lilies. One particular place to see is the Engetsu-kyō (Full-Moon Bridge) is a must-see place for tourists.The garden is open from 9 am-5 pm 24 days a week but closed from December 20 – January 1. Admission fee is 300 yen.

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