Kyu Shiba Rikyu Garden
Encyclopedia
The , also known as Kyū Shiba Rikyū Onshi Teien ("Former Shiba Villa Gardens") is a public garden
and former imperial garden in Minato, Tokyo
, Japan
. The garden is one of two surviving Edo period
clan gardens in modern Tokyo, Japan, the other being Koishikawa Kōrakuen Garden
in Koishikawa
, Bunkyō, Tokyo
. Kyū Shiba Rikyū is often regarded as the most beautifully designed garden in Tokyo, and was once called the "most beautiful" scene in Japan.
. The land was reclaimed between 1655 and 1658. In 1678 the site was used for the official samurai
style residence of Ōkubo Tadamoto (1604–1670), member of the Ōkubo clan
and an official of the Tokugawa shogunate
. The residence garden was designed by garden designers from the Odawara Domain
, until 1614 under the rule of Daimyo
from the Ōkubo clan. The garden was then known as Rakujuen. At that time, the garden included a beach to Tokyo Bay, however, as Tokyo expanded the sea next to the garden was reclaimed
, and there is no connection to the ocean anymore. An remaining ocean water inlet is not used.
The residence changed ownership throughout time, and around 1860 belonged to the Kishū family of the Tokugawa clan
. In 1871 the ownership changed again to the Arisugawa-no-miya
clan. In 1875 the Imperial Household Agency
purchased the residence and it became the Shiba Detached Imperial Villa and in 1891 a European style guest house was constructed.
In the Great Kantō earthquake
on September 1 1923, all buildings and trees on the site were destroyed by fire. Subsequently, in January 1924, the site was donated to Tokyo City
as part of celebrations preceding the Shōwa period
(1926 to 1989) of Emperor
Hirohito
.
The garden was rebuilt and opened to the public on April 20 1924. In 1979 the Government of Japan
designated the garden as a place of scenic beauty and special historic interest. The size of the garden, however, was reduced to make space for the railway tracks on the north side.
in Hangzhou
, and the rocks on the central island represent the mountains of West Lake. One corner of the pond includes a sandy beach area named Suhama, although swimming is not recommended.
The highest point of the park is the Oyama hill, from which a dry waterfall made from stone named Karetaki flows. A stone lantern
provides supposedly a good spot for snow viewing, although Tokyo rarely gets snow nowadays. Notable is also the wisteria trellis in the picnic area, especially when the wisteria blooms at the beginning of May.
Besides the garden office there is also a Japanese Archery
range and a children's playground. The garden is surrounded by High-rise buildings and Skyscraper
s.
, Persea
, Japanese Iris
, Platycodon grandiflorus, Crinum latifolium
, Japanese Wisteria
, Leopard plant
, and Spider Lily
.
Wildlife include Little Egret
s, Spotbill
, and Carp
s, seasonally also Tufted Duck
s, Northern Pintail
s, and Common Pochards.
Exit 1, or a five minute walk from Daimon Station
. The garden is also close to the Hamarikyu Gardens
and the Tokyo World Trade Center.
Japanese garden
, that is, gardens in traditional Japanese style, can be found at private homes, in neighborhood or city parks, and at historical landmarks such as Buddhist temples, Shinto shrines and old castles....
and former imperial garden in Minato, Tokyo
Minato, Tokyo
is one of the 23 special wards of Tokyo, Japan. As of 1 March 2008, it had an official population of 217,335 and a population density of 10,865 persons per km². The total area is 20.34 km².Minato hosts 49 embassies...
, Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
. The garden is one of two surviving Edo period
Edo period
The , or , is a division of Japanese history which was ruled by the shoguns of the Tokugawa family, running from 1603 to 1868. The political entity of this period was the Tokugawa shogunate....
clan gardens in modern Tokyo, Japan, the other being Koishikawa Kōrakuen Garden
Koishikawa Korakuen Garden
is in Koishikawa, Bunkyō, Tokyo, adjacent to Tokyo Dome City. It is one of two surviving Edo period clan gardens in modern Tokyo, the other being Kyu Shiba Rikyu Garden, and one of the oldest and best preserved parks in Tokyo....
in Koishikawa
Koishikawa
is a locality within Bunkyo, Tokyo. It consists of five sub-areas, . It is located nearby with the same name are two well regarded gardens: the Koishikawa Botanical Garden in Hakusan, and the Koishikawa Korakuen Garden in Korakuen....
, Bunkyō, Tokyo
Bunkyo, Tokyo
is one of the 23 special wards of Tokyo, Japan. Situated in the middle of the ward area, Bunkyō is a residential and educational center. Beginning in the Meiji period, literati like Natsume Sōseki, as well as scholars and politicians have lived there...
. Kyū Shiba Rikyū is often regarded as the most beautifully designed garden in Tokyo, and was once called the "most beautiful" scene in Japan.
History
The site of the Kyu Shiba Rikyu Garden was originally part of Tokyo BayTokyo Bay
is a bay in the southern Kantō region of Japan. Its old name was .-Geography:Tokyo Bay is surrounded by the Bōsō Peninsula to the east and the Miura Peninsula to the west. In a narrow sense, Tokyo Bay is the area north of the straight line formed by the on the Miura Peninsula on one end and on...
. The land was reclaimed between 1655 and 1658. In 1678 the site was used for the official samurai
Samurai
is the term for the military nobility of pre-industrial Japan. According to translator William Scott Wilson: "In Chinese, the character 侍 was originally a verb meaning to wait upon or accompany a person in the upper ranks of society, and this is also true of the original term in Japanese, saburau...
style residence of Ōkubo Tadamoto (1604–1670), member of the Ōkubo clan
Okubo clan
The were a samurai kin group which rose to prominence in the Sengoku period and the Edo periods. Under the Tokugawa shogunate, the Ōkubo, as hereditary vassels of the Tokugawa clan, were classified as one of the fudai daimyō clans....
and an official of the Tokugawa shogunate
Tokugawa shogunate
The Tokugawa shogunate, also known as the and the , was a feudal regime of Japan established by Tokugawa Ieyasu and ruled by the shoguns of the Tokugawa family. This period is known as the Edo period and gets its name from the capital city, Edo, which is now called Tokyo, after the name was...
. The residence garden was designed by garden designers from the Odawara Domain
Odawara Domain
was a Japanese domain of the Edo period, located in western Sagami Province. It was centered on Odawara Castle in what is now the city of Odawara.-History:...
, until 1614 under the rule of Daimyo
Daimyo
is a generic term referring to the powerful territorial lords in pre-modern Japan who ruled most of the country from their vast, hereditary land holdings...
from the Ōkubo clan. The garden was then known as Rakujuen. At that time, the garden included a beach to Tokyo Bay, however, as Tokyo expanded the sea next to the garden was reclaimed
Landfill
A landfill site , is a site for the disposal of waste materials by burial and is the oldest form of waste treatment...
, and there is no connection to the ocean anymore. An remaining ocean water inlet is not used.
The residence changed ownership throughout time, and around 1860 belonged to the Kishū family of the Tokugawa clan
Tokugawa clan
The was a powerful daimyo family of Japan. They nominally descended from Emperor Seiwa and were a branch of the Minamoto clan by the Nitta clan. However, the early history of this clan remains a mystery.-History:...
. In 1871 the ownership changed again to the Arisugawa-no-miya
Arisugawa-no-miya
The ' is one of the shinnōke, branches of the Imperial Family of Japan which were, until 1947, eligible to succeed to the Chrysanthemum Throne in the event that the main line should die out....
clan. In 1875 the Imperial Household Agency
Imperial Household Agency
The is a government agency of Japan in charge of the state matters concerning Japan's imperial family and also keeping the Privy Seal and the State Seal...
purchased the residence and it became the Shiba Detached Imperial Villa and in 1891 a European style guest house was constructed.
In the Great Kantō earthquake
1923 Great Kanto earthquake
The struck the Kantō plain on the Japanese main island of Honshū at 11:58:44 am JST on September 1, 1923. Varied accounts hold that the duration of the earthquake was between 4 and 10 minutes...
on September 1 1923, all buildings and trees on the site were destroyed by fire. Subsequently, in January 1924, the site was donated to Tokyo City
Tokyo City
was a municipality in Japan and part of Tokyo-Fu which existed from May 1, 1889 until its merger with its prefecture on July 1, 1943. The historical boundaries of Tokyo City are now occupied by independent special wards...
as part of celebrations preceding the Shōwa period
Showa period
The , or Shōwa era, is the period of Japanese history corresponding to the reign of the Shōwa Emperor, Hirohito, from December 25, 1926 through January 7, 1989.The Shōwa period was longer than the reign of any previous Japanese emperor...
(1926 to 1989) of Emperor
Emperor of Japan
The Emperor of Japan is, according to the 1947 Constitution of Japan, "the symbol of the state and of the unity of the people." He is a ceremonial figurehead under a form of constitutional monarchy and is head of the Japanese Imperial Family with functions as head of state. He is also the highest...
Hirohito
Hirohito
, posthumously in Japan officially called Emperor Shōwa or , was the 124th Emperor of Japan according to the traditional order, reigning from December 25, 1926, until his death in 1989. Although better known outside of Japan by his personal name Hirohito, in Japan he is now referred to...
.
The garden was rebuilt and opened to the public on April 20 1924. In 1979 the Government of Japan
Government of Japan
The government of Japan is a constitutional monarchy where the power of the Emperor is very limited. As a ceremonial figurehead, he is defined by the 1947 constitution as "the symbol of the state and of the unity of the people". Power is held chiefly by the Prime Minister of Japan and other elected...
designated the garden as a place of scenic beauty and special historic interest. The size of the garden, however, was reduced to make space for the railway tracks on the north side.
Layout
The garden has an area of 43,070.53 m². There is a circular path around the central pond Sensui (9,000m²), which is the focus of the garden. Originally this was a salt water pond, however, as the land around was reclaimed the pond was converted to freshwater. The pond includes four islands, the central Nakajima and the smaller Ukishima, Oshima, and Yukimi-toro. Two bridges allow crossing of the pond via the larger island Nakajima. Oshima is close to the shore and can also be crossed. The inspiration for the pond originates from West LakeWest Lake
Xī Hú is a famous fresh water lake located in the historic center of Hangzhou, the capital of Zhejiang province in eastern China. The lake is divided by the causeways of Sū Tí , Bái Tí , and Yánggōng Tí...
in Hangzhou
Hangzhou
Hangzhou , formerly transliterated as Hangchow, is the capital and largest city of Zhejiang Province in Eastern China. Governed as a sub-provincial city, and as of 2010, its entire administrative division or prefecture had a registered population of 8.7 million people...
, and the rocks on the central island represent the mountains of West Lake. One corner of the pond includes a sandy beach area named Suhama, although swimming is not recommended.
The highest point of the park is the Oyama hill, from which a dry waterfall made from stone named Karetaki flows. A stone lantern
Lantern
A lantern is a portable lighting device or mounted light fixture used to illuminate broad areas. Lanterns may also be used for signaling, as 'torches', or as general light sources outdoors . Low light level varieties are used for decoration. The term "lantern" is also used more generically to...
provides supposedly a good spot for snow viewing, although Tokyo rarely gets snow nowadays. Notable is also the wisteria trellis in the picnic area, especially when the wisteria blooms at the beginning of May.
Besides the garden office there is also a Japanese Archery
Kyudo
, literally meaning "way of the bow", is the Japanese art of archery. It is a modern Japanese martial art and practitioners are known as .It is estimated that there are approximately half a million practitioners of kyudo today....
range and a children's playground. The garden is surrounded by High-rise buildings and Skyscraper
Skyscraper
A skyscraper is a tall, continuously habitable building of many stories, often designed for office and commercial use. There is no official definition or height above which a building may be classified as a skyscraper...
s.
Plants and animals
Plants found in the garden include Japanese Black Pine, Camphor trees, AzaleaAzalea
Azaleas are flowering shrubs comprising two of the eight subgenera of the genus Rhododendron, Pentanthera and Tsutsuji . Azaleas bloom in spring, their flowers often lasting several weeks...
, Persea
Persea
Persea is a genus of about 150 species of evergreen trees belonging to the laurel family, Lauraceae. The best-known member of the genus is the avocado, P. americana, widely cultivated in subtropical regions for its large, edible fruit.-Overview:...
, Japanese Iris
Iris (plant)
Iris is a genus of 260-300species of flowering plants with showy flowers. It takes its name from the Greek word for a rainbow, referring to the wide variety of flower colors found among the many species...
, Platycodon grandiflorus, Crinum latifolium
Crinum latifolium
Crinum latifolium is a rosette-like herb that arises from an underground bulb. It is a stout perennial herb of about 2 m in height. Leaves are long, linear and ligulate type. Flowers are white in color and arranged in umbel....
, Japanese Wisteria
Wisteria floribunda
Wisteria floribunda, the Japanese wisteria, is a woody liana of the Wisteria family. It was brought from Japan to the United States in 1860 by George Rogers Hall. Since then, it has become one of the most highly romanticized flowering garden plants...
, Leopard plant
Farfugium japonicum
Farfugium japonicum is a plant of the family Asteraceae, also known as leopard plant, green leopard plant, and ligularia.Farfugium japonicum is native to rocky coastal cliffs of Japan , Korea, and Taiwan.-Description:...
, and Spider Lily
Lycoris (genus)
Lycoris is a genus of 13–20 species of flowering plants in the family Amaryllidaceae, subfamily Amaryllidoideae. They are native to eastern and southern Asia in Japan, southern Korea, eastern and southern China, northern Vietnam, northern Laos, northern Thailand, northern Burma, Nepal, northern...
.
Wildlife include Little Egret
Little Egret
The Little Egret is a small white heron. It is the Old World counterpart to the very similar New World Snowy Egret.-Subspecies:Depending on authority, two or three subspecies of Little Egret are currently accepted....
s, Spotbill
Spotbill
The Spot-billed Duck also known as the Spotbill, is a dabbling duck which breeds in tropical and eastern Asia. It has three subspecies: the Indian Spot-billed Duck , Eastern Spot-billed Duck , and Burmese Spot-billed Duck The Spot-billed Duck (Anas poecilorhyncha) also known as the Spotbill, is a...
, and Carp
Carp
Carp are various species of oily freshwater fish of the family Cyprinidae, a very large group of fish native to Europe and Asia. The cypriniformes are traditionally grouped with the Characiformes, Siluriformes and Gymnotiformes to create the superorder Ostariophysi, since these groups have certain...
s, seasonally also Tufted Duck
Tufted Duck
The Tufted Duck, Aythya fuligula, is a medium-sized diving duck with a population of close to one million birds.- Description :The adult male is all black except for white flanks and a blue-grey bill. It has an obvious head tuft that gives the species its name.The adult female is brown with paler...
s, Northern Pintail
Northern Pintail
The Pintail or Northern Pintail is a widely occurring duck which breeds in the northern areas of Europe, Asia and North America. It is strongly migratory and winters south of its breeding range to the equator...
s, and Common Pochards.
Location
The park is located at 1-4-1 kaigan, Minato-Ku, Tokyo 105-0022, close to the JR Hamamatsuchō StationHamamatsucho Station
is a station on the Yamanote and Keihin-Tōhoku lines located in Hamamatsuchō, Minato, Tokyo, Japan.-History:The JR station opened on December 16, 1909 as an intermediate station on the newly opened Shinagawa-Karasumori section of the national railway....
Exit 1, or a five minute walk from Daimon Station
Daimon Station (Tokyo)
is a station on the Toei Subway in Minato, Tokyo, Japan. The station is named after the Shiba Daimon or Great Gate of Shiba, located just west of the station on the road leading to the temple of Zōjō-ji....
. The garden is also close to the Hamarikyu Gardens
Hamarikyu Gardens
is a public park in Chūō, Tokyo, Japan. Located at the mouth of the Sumida River, it was opened April 1, 1946. The park is a 250,165 m² landscaped garden surrounding Shioiri Pond, the park itself surrounded by a seawater moat filled by Tokyo Bay. It was remodeled as a public garden park on the site...
and the Tokyo World Trade Center.