Kairakuen
偕楽園
One of Japan's Three Great Gardens spanning 300 hectares, built in 1842 and renowned for its plum trees and cherry blossoms that bloom seasonally.
Kairakuen is a Japanese style garden that is considered one of the Three Great Gardens of Japan. Spanning 300 hectares, the garden was built in 1842 by Tokugawa Nariaki, the ninth daimyō of Mito Domain. The garden was intended for the enjoyment of the samurai class, but was open to commoners on certain dates each year.
Kairakuen is particularly known for its cherry blossom season which takes place in late February and March. The garden also features one hundred different varieties of plum trees, bamboo trees, and cedar trees. The three-story pavilion, Kobuntei, serves as a stage for poetry contests and Japanese tea ceremony. In 1922, the garden was designated a National Historic Site and National Place of Scenic Beauty.
Upcoming events at this place
Kairakuen UME The Lights
Spring illumination event at historic garden featuring projection-mapped poetry on bamboo stalks, colored plum groves, and a mystical anime collaboration.
13 Feb – 15 Mar 2027 · Dates not yet confirmedMito · IbarakiPlaces nearby
Ibaraki Prefectural Museum of History
A museum in Mito tracing Ibaraki's history through artifacts and documents from the Edo period, featuring preserved farm buildings and Meiji-era architecture.
Mito · Ibaraki
Kodokan
The largest han school during the Bakumatsu period, established in 1841 by Tokugawa Nariaki with a wide-ranging curriculum, now designated as a Historic Site.
Mito · Ibaraki
Mito Castle Ruins
Medieval castle ruins in Mito showcasing the prominence of the Tokugawa clan's Mito branch during the Edo period, with remaining moats, gates, and adjacent Kodokan school structure.
Mito · IbarakiYou might also like
Kyu-Furukawa Gardens
Kyu-Furukawa Gardens combines a Western stone mansion, rose garden, and traditional Japanese strolling garden, blending European and Japanese design on Tokyo's Musashino Plateau.
Tokyo
The Four Seasons of Kanazawa Castle and Kenrokuen Garden: Spring Illuminations
Spring illuminations at Kenrokuen Garden coincide with the blooming of azaleas and early cherry blossoms, creating an interplay of seasonal colors.
30 Apr – 2 May 2027Kanazawa · Ishikawa
Rikugien Garden Night Autumn Viewing
Rikugien Garden opens for nighttime autumn foliage viewing, illuminating the garden's fall colours alongside projection mapping and carefully framed photographic vistas.
28 Nov – 9 Dec 2026Tokyo
Tokushima City Tokushima Castle Museum
Located in Tokushima Central Park on the former castle grounds, this shoin-zukuri style museum houses historical materials related to the Tokushima Domain and its ruling Hachisuka clan.
Tokushima
Strawberry Hunt in the Land of Oz
Strawberry picking transforms into a playful experience with themed décor and character guides at Japan's largest rose-themed park.
17 Jan – 30 Apr 2027Yachiyo · Chiba
Ikuta Ryokuchi Park
Kawasaki's largest green space, blending woodland and wetland with museums, a planetarium, indigo dyeing, and seasonal cherry blossom, irises, and autumn foliage.
Kawasaki · Kanagawa