KOISHIKAWA KORAKUENGARDENGreat garden associated with legendary
Tokugawa Mitsukuni Built: 1629 Area: 70,000 m2 (18 acre) 1.5 times

Tokyo dome baseball park, Visitors: 360

thousands per year The constructed by the founder of the Mito

Tokugawa family, Yorifusa, and the famous
second clan ruler, Mitsukuni.

 This garden features a central pond and hills,

making it perfect for a stroll.

 The design of garden includes some conceptsof the Chinese Confucian scholar Shu-shunsuiof the Ming dynasty.

 Name representing ruler's precept: worrying

before one's people, enjoying only after one'speople have enjoyed Daisensui (Big pond water); The central

landscape of this garden typical strollingaround pond.

 Horaijima (the Isle of the Immortals) andTokudaiji stones (mirror stones and nameof gardener) are arranged to create alandscape that expresses Lake Biwa, near
Kyoto, and it is said that in the olden days,
boating was done in this pond.

 Visitors enjoy different kinds of scene while

strolling around the pond.

 Sho-Rozan: A round artificial hillcovered with okamezasa (smallbamboo: Shibataea kumasaca). It
was named by Edo Confucian
scholar Hayashi Razan because its
appearance and shape resembles
the scenic spot of Rozan, China.

 Hitotsumatsu (One lone pine):This

name came from similar pine on
Karasaki, the shore of Biwa-lake.

 Oi-gawa andTogetsu bridge;
A place that
represents theview of the riverin this garden.
The name ofriver and bridge
represent
Arashiyama,Kyoto.

 Seiko-no-tsutsumi (bank ofLake Xi Hu); This bank wasmade in resemblance to thebank of Lake Seiko (Xi Hu)in
Hangzhou, China. It isbelieved to have left
significant influence todaimyo gardens in Edo
period.

 Tsutenkyo (bridge) is said that this bridge

expresses " of Tofukuji Temple in Kyoto. Thisvermillion bridge is harmony with green
leaves in early summer and red foliage inautumn.

 Engetsu-kyo (Full Moon Bridge) The reflectionof the bridge in the pond produces a fullcircle representinga full moon. The design ofthis bridge is said to have been created by
the Confucian scholar, Shu-shunsui. It has
survived in its original form and provides aglimpse of the early Edo Period.

 The highly developed technology was used

to construct the bridge cannot be analyzed
by modern technology.

 Yatsuhashi (Eight-planked bridge) andKakitsubata (Rabit-ear iris: Iris laevigata), Thisbridge made from eight narrow wooden
planks forming a zigzag pattern on field of
Kakitsubata featuring famous poem of
Ariwarano Narihira made in Mikawa.

 Karagoromo / kitsutsu narenishi / tsuma shi

areba / harubaru kinuru / tabi o shi zo omou;
I have a beloved wife / familiar as the skirt /of a well-worn robe / and so this distantjourneying / fills my heart with grief;
から衣/ きつゝなれにし/ つましあれば/ はるばるきぬる/ たびをしぞ思ふ Rice paddy and Hanashobu (JapaneseWater Iris: Iris ensata) The paddy is said
be created by order of the second clan
ruler, Mitsukuni for learning importanceof agriculture. Next to the paddy, Iris isplanted.

 Tokunido; This building is a hall where thewooden statues of Boyi (Hakui)and Shuqi(Syukusei)were enshrined after being
impressed by reading the historical record"Boyi and Shuqi" when Mitsukuni was 18years old.

 The name of Tokujindo comes from thefact that Confucius commented on Boyiand Shuqi and said "Koujin Tokujin".

 This building is one of the few buildings

remaining original one from early Edo
period (17th century).

 Naitei (Inner garden); This is the area of

the garden where the Mito Clanmaintained a "shoin"-style guesthouse. In
the past, this area was separated fromthe Korakuen (Daisensui) part.

 Karamon (Chinese-style gate) separates

inner garden and main part of thegarden. Original gates was completed inmid 17th century but burnt down by an air
raid in 1945. Reconstruction was madeusing old pictures and completed in
December 2020.

 Yukizuri: To protect the trees from the weight of snow. In Tokyo, it isseldom heavy snow, but for ornamental feature Komomaki: straw belt, also known as waramaki, wrapped around tree

during winter to protect plant against pests like pine moth. It is now
considered less effective since it catches also predators or natural
enemy of pests.

 Warabocchi: To cover plants from sever cold winter for cold prone plant

Japanese name AYAMEKAKITSUBATAHANA SHOBU

Botanical nameIris sanguinea

Iris laevigata

Iris ensata var. ensata

English name

Blood-red iris

Rabit-ear iris

Japanese Water Iris

Petal Character

Blue and white-yellow
mesh pattern (Ayame)at base of blue purple
petalWhite center stripe in blue
Yellow spot at base of petal,
petal or yellow stripe in white petal colors varied from white,floweryellow, red purple, blue purple
and their combination

HabitatDry landUnder shallow water

Shallow water or shore of water

Flower Season

Mid to late MayMid May

Late May to late June