Korakuen Garden
One of Japan’s three most celebrated gardens
Table of Contents
About Korakuen Garden
Korakuen (後楽園, Kōrakuen) is a beautiful landscape garden and Okayama’s main attraction.
Korakuen is ranked as one of Japan’s three best landscape gardens (Along with Kanazawa’s Kenrokuen and Mito’s Kairakuen).
The garden is located near Okayama Castle, which can be seen from the garden.
Okayama Castle
The garden has typical features of a Japanese landscape garden, including a large pond, streams, walking paths and a hill that serves as a lookout point.
The garden also beautiful in any season, it has plum trees, cherry trees and maple trees, tea and rice fields. Which makes it to be charming in any season.
We had a rainy day when we visited there, but it was still beautiful.
A little bit history
Lord Tsunamasa Ikeda, the second lord of the Ikeda ancestry, ordered the construction of this garden in the year 1687.
It was completed in 1700, and it has retained its original appearance (with few changes) from the Edo Period up to the present day.
The garden was used as a place for entertaining important guests were occasionally invited to the garden, and it was for the most part built for Lord Ikeda’s leisurely activities.
The garden suffered damage from floods in 1934 and bombing during world war II , but it has always been restored to its original state thanks to the accurate records kept by the garden’s designers.
In 1884, ownership was transferred to Okayama Prefecture and the garden was opened to the public.
Access
Korakuen has two entrance gates: a main gate, and a south gate near the bridge that crosses to Okayama Castle.
Korakuen garden main gate is located about 20-25 minutes walk from Okayama Station.
There a bus from the station which takes 20 minutes and cost ￥140 for one way.
There also a Trams option to the south gate of the garden, the Trams is on the Higashiyama Line can be taken from Okayama-Ekimae Station to Shiroshita stop which costs ￥100 for one way for about 15 minutes, but when you get off you need to walk another 7 minutes.
Information
Hours:
7:30 to 18:00 (March 20 to end September)
8:00 to 17:00 (1st October to March 19)
Admission ends 15 minutes before closing time.
Closed:
No closing days
Fees:
entry fee costs ￥410
If you want a set ticket with Okayama castle is costs ￥580
Access:
Walk
20-25 minutes walk from Okayama station
Bus
20 minutes by bus from Okyama station costs ￥140 for one way.
Tramp
15 minutes by tramp from Okayama-Ekimae station costs ￥100 for one way
Address:
Korakuen 1-5, Kita-ku, Okayama City 703-8257
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Kenrokuen Garden – Japan’s most celebrated landscape garden
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Miyajima
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