Rikugien was established in 1702 by feudal lord Yanagisawa Yoshiyasu, who served as an attendant to the 5th Shogun in Edo period, Tsunayoshi Tokugawa. It took about 7 years to construct this garden, which has hills, steams, islands, ponds and tea houses.
There are some cafes to have tea break. At Fukiage tea room, you can have Maccha tea with a sweet, JPY500. Relax and enjoy the garden view outside.
In 1878, this garden became a second residence of Mitsubishi's founder, Yataro Iwasaki, and he maintained the garden in good condition. Later, his family donated it to the city of Tokyo in 1938. Now the garden is designated as a special site of exceptional beauty and an important cultural asset.
The colored leaves reflected on the water are beautiful!
You must enjoy the overview from the tallest hill, Fujishiro Toge, the highlight of this garden.
Hours: Open from 9:00 to 17:00 (Entry until 16:30)
Closed: End year holidays, Dec 29 to Jan 1
Admission: JPY300 per adult
It takes about 1~2 hours to look around.
About two weeks in colored leave season, the garden is open at night till 21:00 as well, and visitors can enjoy the light up of the leaves. Also, you can enjoy cherry blossoms in spring, of course.
Experience Japan!
