Okayama Korakuen Garden

Okayama Korakuen Garden is one of Japan’s Three Great Gardens, mostly completed in 1700 under Ikeda Tsunamasa, the second lord of Okayama Domain. Though successive lords made slight alterations, the garden has retained its spacious layout of lawns, pond and tea houses. Despite damage from a typhoon and wartime air raids, the garden has been carefully restored using detailed records from Ikeda clan, and today it stands as a rare example of an Edo period landscape preserved in its original character.
Covering almost 14 hectares, the garden’s beauty changes throughout the seasons—from plum blossoms in spring and irises in early summer to vibrant autumn foliage and serene winter vistas. Visitors can enjoy cultural events like moon-viewing, Noh performances on Noh Theater Stage, tea picking and rice planting. At night on certain days in spring, summer and autumn, special light-up events transform the landscape into a dreamlike scene. Whether strolling the paths, climbing Yuishinzan Hill for a view over Sawa-no-ike Pond, or watching cranes flying and walking in the garden on New Year’s Day, Okayama Korakuen Garden embodies the harmony of nature, history and living tradition.