English
Japanese gardens are true artistic creations. They are the perfect combination of plants, water, sand and rock. They invite meditation and relaxation through artificial paradises that mimic nature: simulations of lakes, rocks that are like islands or mountains, modeled trees that look like bonsai or paths leading to teahouse…
Let´s look back in history. Gardening first came to Japan in the sixth century, when the nobility, the Daymo, began to undertake it as a form of refinement.
The construction of gardens in Japan can be divided into three types:
Tsukiyama is a landscape garden, with artificial mountains and lakes.
Karesansui has precisely shaped stones that are surrounded with raked gravel, suggesting the sea and waves.
Chaniwa are gardens arranged around a teahouse.
The Garden Rikugi-in, in Tokyo, follows the concept of tsukiyama, since it has ponds and rocks, which are designed so that it can go in a circular path. It was created in 1702 by the feudal lord Yanagisama Yoshiyasu, therefore it’s a feudal garden inspired by “Waka” poetry, inspired by Chinese poetry and divided into six categories. That is what is meant by Rikui (Rokui means six in Japanese).
It is a typical garden from the Edo period. In the Meiji era it belonged to the Iwasaki family as a second home. If you want to visit the principal residence of the family, Kyu-Iwasaki-tei tei-eni, a bus leaves from the garden to take you straight there.
In 1938 it was donated to the city of Tokyo. Designated a place of special natural beauty by the city’s government in 1953, Rikugi-in has become the most famous site in Tokyo to contemplate the beauty of autumn.
It has an area of 8.7 hectares, with a central lake. From the entrance there is a path that leads around the lake. The same path also leads to a promontory 35 meters high, from which one has a spectacular view of the garden below.
If you plan on visiting Tokyo or are there right now, this is the ideal time to visit this wonderfully poetic garden, which is decked out in the warm colors of the autumn leaves. It’s a place to find peace while contemplating the beauty of the green meadow reflected in the water. While walking down the path, you will ultimately have a surprise, a rustic cottage where you can stop, rest and drink tea. And if you follow the path up and go into the forest you can observe the vastness of the sky at sunset from the top of the mountain. Encountering nature at its fullest in a big city like Tokyo is like finding a light in the chaos that captures the true essence of the world.
Don’t miss out on this great manmade spot. Come check out this artificial paradise within the metropolis to relax the body and mind, to meditate, to get lost or find yourself.
Address: 6-16-3 Hon-Komagome (Bunkyo Ward).
If you´re looking for apartments in Tokyo , don´t forget to check out the peaceful artificial paradise of Rikugi-en and enjoy the beauty of autumn.
