Kairaku-en, a garden to enjoy with others

摘要

Ever since I first visited Kairaku-en a few years ago I was struck by its beauty. Kairaku-en is one of the 'Three Great Gardens of Japan' and is famous for having one of the largest collections of Japanese plums in the world. This is one of the firsttrees to flower, putting on an incredible show and filling the air with a heavenly scent. The beautiful landscape of the garden is also home to a tranquil bamboo forest, a peaceful woodland of Japanese red cedars and the historic Koubuntei building of Ibaraki Prefectures' Daimyo, Tokugawa Nariaki.The maintenance of this historic garden was the first attraction for me. The trees, many of which are old and weathered, are so intimately cared for that year after year they still produce the most wonderful display of flowers. The pines that sit on topof a steep escarpment are each a work of art looking out over the valley below and the bamboo forest is carefully maintained to ensure that is doesn't become too crowded and that the right amount of light is able to shine through.