Who does not want to visit traditional Japanese gardens in Japan? These gardens are famous worldwide and highlight the beauty of nature throughout the year.
In order to learn the fascinating history of these well-known gardens you have got to visit them and experience each other them to find out why they are considered as “famous.”
Japanese culture has long had a special respect for gardens. The beautiful and serene style of Japanese gardens has found its way throughout the world and is found prominently featured in many parks and monuments. However, these gardens were all inspired by the real thing found in Japan.
Japanese gardens take gardening to the level of an art. Many of them are centuries old, tended carefully from the days of the samurai.
Here are the ten best traditional Japanese gardens to visit in Japan, every one of them a unique manifestation of Japanese art and culture.
1. Kenroku-en in Kanazawa Prefecture
This lovely Japanese garden covers an area of 11.4 hectares in the central area of Kanazawa right next to Kanazawa Castle. It does offer great photo opportunities for visitors.
It dates back to feudal times and has since been maintained for generations by the Maeda family, rulers of the Kaga clan. The garden has a prominent artificial pond called Kasumigaike.
There are many hills and houses dotted throughout the garden. The symbol of Kenrokuen garden is a stein lantern carved in the shape of a Japanese harp (or koto).
There are plum blossoms and cherry blossoms to be found in the spring, irises and azaleas in early summer, and brilliant fiery leaves in autumn.
Every year in November, you can see yukitsuri snow hanging in the garden, which are a traditional way of protecting the branches of pine trees from the weight of newly fallen snow. A visit to this garden at any time of year is a spectacular experience.
From Kanazawa Station (east exit), take the Kanazawa Loop Bus or Kanazawa Shuttle Bus to reach the garden (approximately 15 minutes).
2. Kairaku-en in Ibaraki Prefecture
Kairakuen garden is ranked among the three finest gardens in Japan. You can find it in Mito, one hour northwest of Tokyo by limited express train. The gardens as built in 1841 by lord Tokugawa Nariaki and, unlike many other Japanese gardens, it has always been open for public enjoyment.
Kairakuen is best known for the more than three thousand plum trees on the garden grounds. Many visitors come to Kairakuen in the early spring (February to March) when the plum blossoms bloom.
As it showcases gorgeous plum blooms in late winter/early spring, you should never ignore visiting this garden when you are traveling around Tokyo from late February through March.
The Mito Plum Festival is held during this period and always promises to be a delightful time.
From Tokyo’s Ueno Station you can reach Mito Station along the Joban Line (70 minutes) by limited express train. Access to Kairakuen by bus that will take approximately 20 minutes from Mito Station (north exit).
3. Koraku-en in Okayama Prefecture
This lovely landscape garden is the main attraction of Okayama. It is considered one of the three most beautiful gardens in Japan. It sits just beside Okayama Castle.
The local lord ordered the garden to be built in 1687 as a place to hold gatherings for his family and receptions for important guests.
It is a wide and spacious garden, with lawns not like the some found in any other Japanese garden. You can find plum, maple, and cherry groves, as well as tea fields rice fields, even an archery range and a crane aviary!
A visit here is a window into Japanese culture and history.
You can take a free shuttle bus from JR Yasugi station (20 mins).
4. Adachi Museum of Art in Shimane Prefecture
The garden of Adachi Museum of Art (Adachi Bijutsukan) is a very popular place to visit in Shimane Prefecture. This is one of the newer Japanese gardens on this list.
It was founded in 1980 by Adachi Zenko to combine his love of Japanese art and his passion for garden design.
This garden has been named as the best garden in Japan in the Journal of Japanese Gardening since 2003. The feel and character of this garden changes with the season.
The only way to access it is through the Adachi Museum of Art. If you’re looking to spend an afternoon in this garden, be sure to take a look at some of the amazing pieces inside, as well.
5. Byodoin in Kyoto Prefecture
Byodoin is a Buddhist temple with a beautiful Pure Land Garden. It is A UNESCO World Heritage site and one of the most beautiful temples in Japan.
Be sure to visit the wonderful Phoenix Hall that stands on the grounds. It is one of very few standing wooden structures dating back to the Heian Period.
There are also cherry trees and reflecting ponds on the grounds during spring.
It is a lovely and peaceful destination, sure to bring you a measure of peace during your busy trip to Japan. This temple makes a great day trip from Kyoto city!
Byodoin Temple is a 10-15 minute walk from JR Uji Station or Keihan Uji Station. From JR Nara station, the journey takes about 30 minutes.
6. Ryoanji in Kyoto Prefecture
Where is the famous rock garden in Japan?
Built in 1450, Ryoanji Temple in northwest Kyoto is where you have to go to see this beautiful Zen rock garden. This is considered the best rock garden in Japan.
The temple was added to the list of World Heritage Sites in 1994. Hundreds of visitors come from across the country and around the world to see it.
No one is quite sure of when the rock garden was constructed or who its designer was. No one really knows for certain what the meaning of the garden is intended to be.
From any vantage point, at least one of the 15 rocks laid out in the garden is hidden. The garden has been interpreted and reinterpreted by many people.
Should you get the chance to visit, you can do the same. This garden can get quite crowded and an early morning visit will be less busy.
Take the bus number 50 from Kyoto Station to Ritsumeikan Daigaku-mae bus stop. From there you have to walk for about 7 minutes to reach the temple.
7. Katsura Imperial Villa in Kyoto Prefecture
Katsura Rikyu originally was the residence for members of the Japanese imperial family and sits in western Kyoto. You can only visit it by joining a tour.
The tour is in Japanese, but English language audio guides are available. This tour goes along the circular walking path of the garden around its central pond.
Palace buildings are not open for entry and photos are only allowed in certain areas. As you can see, this place is held as a real treasure to the Japanese people.
The garden is a 15 minute walk from Katsura Station on the Hankyu Kyoto Line.
8. Rikugien Garden in Tokyo
The name of this garden means “six poems garden”. It was built around 1700 and reflects the art of Japanese gardening at the time very well.
It is a lovely strolling garden, with a large central pond and a number of man-made hills and small forested groves.
It takes around an hour to walk through the entire network of trails that run through the garden. At the Fukiage Chaya teahouse, you can relax and enjoy some tea.
The garden is best known for its wonderful autumn colors as well as the many flowering trees and bushes that bloom in the spring.
Visitors can get off at Komagome station on the JR Yamanote Line, and from there they can talk a short walk to the garden.
9. Sankeien Garden in Yokohama
The large Classical Japanese garden has an area larger than 175,000 square meters.
Besides its lawns and ponds, there are a number of historical houses on the grounds, all brought here from areas all over Japan. It was once a private home but was opened to the public in 1906.
There are many lovely things to see here, including streams, small waterfalls, and bamboo groves. In late March or early April, the garden’s cherry blossoms are in full bloom, while you’ll see Japanese pink lotus blossoms in July and August.
In the autumn, the trees in the garden change their leaves. It is an amazing place to visit in any season.
From Yokohama Station’s East Exit Bus Station, you can take the municipal bus (Route No.8 or 148) to Honmoku Sankeien Mae bus stop, and from there it’s a 5-minute walk to the Garden.
10. Ritsurin Koen in Kagawa Prefecture
This spectacular Japanese landscape garden is found in Takamatsu City and dates back to the early Edo Period. Many consider it one of the ten most beautiful gardens in Japan and a designated Special Place of Scenic Beauty.
There are many ponds, hills, and groves found throughout the garden, as well as several beautiful pavilions. The forested Mt. Shiun is a background to the tire garden, making every view a great one.
In winter, the garden looks picture-perfect and beautifully covered with snow.
The garden is a 5-minute walk from JR Ritsurin Koen Kitaguchi Station.
