Rikugi-en

Rikugi-en is a large garden in Bunkyō, Tokyo, laid out around a pond, a small hill and winding paths. Its name means 'garden of six principles', a reference to the six elements of waka, a traditional form of Japanese poetry.

It was built between 1695 and 1702 by Yanagisawa Yoshiyasu, a powerful official, and it recreates scenes from famous poems in miniature. Today it is a city park and a classic example of an Edo-period lord's garden. People love it most for its giant weeping cherry tree, which glows pink in spring, and for its red autumn leaves. Its name is a nod to poetry, so every corner of the garden is meant to feel like a poem.

Who built Rikugi-en and when?

Yanagisawa Yoshiyasu built the garden over about seven years, from 1695 to 1702, with permission from the fifth Tokugawa shogun, Tokugawa Tsunayoshi. After Yanagisawa died, the garden was neglected. In 1878 Iwasaki Yatarō, who founded the Mitsubishi company, bought it and began to restore it, and his brother kept the work going. In 1938 the family gave the garden to the Tokyo city government. In 1953 Japan named it a Special Place of Scenic Beauty, one of the country's highest honours for gardens.

Visiting Rikugi-en today

The garden is a short walk from Komagome Station in Tokyo. Today it covers only about one third of its original size, yet it still has a pond, wooded paths and a hill to climb for a view. For a few weeks in spring and autumn, the cherry blossoms and the autumn leaves are lit up after dark, and the garden stays open into the evening. Children of junior high school age or younger can enter free.

On the globe

The model shows a Japanese strolling garden with a pond, a hill and winding paths. Look for the large weeping cherry tree.