Koishikawa Botanical Garden

Located in Bunkyo Ward, Tokyo, the Koishikawa Botanical Garden is an affiliated botanical garden of the Graduate School of Science at the University of Tokyo. It is considered one of the most historically and academically significant botanical gardens in Japan. Its history dates back to the Edo period, when it was originally established as a medicinal herb garden by the Tokugawa shogunate. Since the Meiji Restoration, the garden has gradually developed into a major center for modern botanical research in Japan, and it has also had a profound influence on the study of native plants in Taiwan.

The Koishikawa Botanical Garden is renowned for its extensive collection of living plants and well-equipped research facilities. In addition to showcasing a wide variety of plant species, the garden also houses a large collection of books and scientific instruments. Of particular note is the herbarium, which holds approximately 1.7 million specimens, making it one of the largest plant specimen collections in Japan. Due to space constraints, some of the specimens are stored at the University of Tokyo's General Research Museum.

Over the years, the Koishikawa Botanical Garden has trained many experts in plant taxonomy. Its directors have often been leading figures in the field, making the garden an important base for both botanical research and education.