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Park & Garden · Ibaraki · Kanto

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.

Kairaku-en Garden in Mito
Kairaku-en Garden in Mito © Σ64, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Opening hours
Mon–Sun 07:00–18:00
Holidays 07:00–18:00
Admission
Everyone Free
Links
Official website English · Japanese
Access
1-3-3, Tokiwacho, Mito City, Ibaraki
〒 310-0033
How to get there
Nearest stationKairakuen Station
偕楽園
Joban Line5 min walk from the station
Nearest bus stop千波湖2 min walk from the bus stop
Tickets & deals

Gate price from¥300

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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 daimyo 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.

Getting There

Map: Getting to Kairaku-en. Legend: Joban Line; Suigun Line; Oarai Kashima Line. Labelled stations: Chiba, Toride, Shimodate, Kashima-Jingu, Kairakuen, Mito.

Planning a trip? Fit this into a trip and Oni plans the rest around it.

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Nearby

Places nearby

Museum

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
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Kodokan

The largest han school during the Bakumatsu period, established in 1841 by Tokugawa Nariaki with a wide-ranging curriculum, now a Special Historic Site.

Mito · Ibaraki
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Mito Castle Ruins

Castle ruins in Mito, seat of the Tokugawa clan's Mito branch in the Edo period, with moats, gates and the adjacent Kodokan school still standing.

Mito · Ibaraki
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