Rikugien Garden
Rikugien Garden, located in Honkomagome, Bunkyo Ward, Tokyo, is a quintessential example of a kaiyū-shiki tsukiyama-sensui teien—a circuit-style garden with artificial hills and ponds designed for strolling and appreciating changing sceneries. Renowned for its poetic design and elegant evocation of classical waka poetry, Rikugien has been designated as a Special Place of Scenic Beauty by the Japanese government and is considered one of Tokyo’s most representative historical gardens.
The area was originally part of the Musashino plains during the early Edo period, abundant in water and lush forests, making it ideal for garden construction. At that time, Edo Castle and its surrounding defenses occupied the inner city area (today’s Imperial Palace and outer moat), while the Bunkyo district lay in the suburban outskirts known as okuruwa-gai. As Edo developed and its population expanded, samurai estates gradually extended outward, transforming Bunkyo into a desirable location for the villas of nobles and shogunate retainers. The great fires of Meireki (1657) and Tenna (1683) spurred city reconstruction, further promoting development in the surrounding areas—laying the geographical foundation for Rikugien’s creation.
The garden’s creator was Yanagisawa Yoshiyasu, a trusted retainer of the fifth Tokugawa shogun, Tokugawa Tsunayoshi. In 1695 (Genroku 8), Yoshiyasu was granted a vast tract of land in Somei Village by the shogunate, spanning approximately 45,000 tsubo (about 150,000 square meters). There he built his villa and garden, naming it “Rikugien,” also called “Muku no Sono.” The name derives from the “Six Principles” (Rikugi) of poetry mentioned in China’s Book of Songs (Shijing): fu (narrative), bi (comparison), xing (evocation), feng (folk style), ya (elegant style), and song (hymn). The title thus reflects Yoshiyasu’s deep literary cultivation and refined aesthetic sensibility.
Unlike the earlier karesansui (dry landscape) or shoin-zukuri gardens, Rikugien represents the aesthetic innovation of the Edo period—a naturalistic garden designed for leisurely appreciation. Yoshiyasu modeled the landscape on poetic imagery from Manyōshū and Kokin Wakashū, and inspired by the scenic beauty of Wakanoura in Wakayama, he crafted hills, streams, and a large central pond. The garden featured eighty-eight scenic spots, each named after places or phrases found in classical poems, embodying the idea of “poetry within scenery and scenery within poetry.” Its most striking feature is the central Daisensui Pond, around which small islands, bridges, and man-made hills were arranged. Visitors can stroll along circular paths and view the garden’s ever-changing seasonal beauty from different perspectives.
Born amid the flourishing Genroku culture, Rikugien reflected the refined lifestyle and artistic taste of Edo-period samurai elites. Yoshiyasu often invited poets, artists, and scholars to compose verses, paint, and enjoy moon-viewing banquets within the garden, making it a cultural salon where politics and art intertwined. The name “Rikugien” symbolized not only the poetic spirit but also the harmony of nature and literature—the entire garden can be seen as a long poem written with nature itself.
In the Meiji era, the garden came into the possession of Iwasaki Yatarō, the founder of the Mitsubishi financial group. In 1938, the Iwasaki family donated Rikugien to the Tokyo Metropolitan Government, which opened it as a public park. Today, the garden is celebrated for its magnificent weeping cherry blossoms in spring and fiery maples in autumn. The illuminated night view of the giant shidare-zakura is especially famous among visitors and photographers. Within the park, the traditional Fukiage Chaya teahouse allows guests to enjoy matcha while admiring the tranquil pond and artificial hills—immersing themselves in the refined atmosphere of an Edo-period daimyo garden.
