March 30, 2010 Day 19: Feudal Gardens of Tokyo

Laid out in 1629 by the Tokugawa family of Mito, Koishikawa Korakuen is the oldest of all the gardens in Tokyo, and it is a typical stroll-garden built in the early days of the Tokugawa Era. In the central part of korakuen, there is a placid lakelet with winding walks, stone lanterns, trees and arched bridges arranged skillfully in harmony with their surroundings. The garden is attractive throughout the year, but is especially so in late November and early December during the fall color season. Dozens of maple trees and a small grove of ginkgo trees burst into color during autumn. The garden is also beautiful during the plum season and the cherry blossom season in spring.

Happoen Garden has a history of over 300 years, dating back to the estate of Hikozaemon Okubo—a trusted retainer of the Tokugawa Shogunate in the late 17th century. Happoen features all of the traditional elements of a Japanese garden like koi-filled ponds and a traditional tea house. It is renowned for its harmony with nature, featuring cherry trees, bonsai, maple trees and other seasonal trees and plants. There are over 2,000 marriages yearly here so it is a good spot to see a traditional wedding procession.

Kyu-Shiba Rikyu Garden is one of a pair of feudal-era clan gardens surviving in modern-day Tokyo. The Shiba-Detached-Palace Garden is a classic, strolling, spring-fed garden pond-centered garden featuring rock and land formations. The land on which the garden is located was originally under the shallows of Edo Bay, but from 1655 to 1658, this area was reclaimed, and in 1678, came to be used for the official residence of Okubo Tadatomo, an official of the ruling Tokugawa Shogunate.