Tokugawa-en

Tokugawaen is a Japanese garden that originates from the site of the "Osone Residence," built by the second lord of the Owari domain, Tokugawa Mitsumori, as a retirement home in the eighth year of the Genroku era (1695). The original estate spanned a vast area of approximately 130,000 tsubo (about 44 hectares), and it is said that boats were floated on the garden's pond for leisurely enjoyment. After Mitsumori's death, the site was used as the residence of the Owari domain's chief retainers, and after the Meiji era, it became the estate of the Owari Tokugawa family. In 1931, the 19th head of the family, Tokugawa Yoshichika, donated the residence and garden to Nagoya City, and it was opened to the public as Tokugawaen the following year, but much of the garden was destroyed during the Nagoya air raids in 1945. Since then, it has been utilized as a public park, and in 2004, the garden was restructured as a Japanese garden, recreating the design of a daimyo garden in modern times, leading to its current form.

Today, Tokugawaen is an approximately 2.3-hectare pond-style strolling Japanese garden that inherits the style common to major daimyo gardens of the Edo period. Within the garden, a clear stream flows down from waterfalls through valleys and into a pond designed to resemble the sea, symbolically representing Japan's natural landscapes. The large elevation changes and existing woodlands are preserved, and the use of enormous stones to create rock formations and hills that symbolize the grandeur of the samurai society is a significant feature.

One of the highlights, "Ryomon no Taki," is a recreation of a waterfall from the Edo residence of the Owari Tokugawa family and has a special effect where the water volume increases every 20 minutes. Additionally, "Osone no Taki," which has a three-tiered structure with a drop of about 6 meters, offers a variety of water expressions due to the different rock formations at each level. The scene of Ryuzenko, with a Chinese-style stone bridge spanning it and ornamental koi gracefully swimming, is also one of the representative landscapes of Tokugawaen.

The garden features a diverse range of plants, including peonies, irises, lotus, water lilies, and crape myrtles, allowing visitors to enjoy the natural beauty of the changing seasons, from spring peonies and early summer irises to fresh greenery and autumn foliage. In autumn, especially, the Iroha momiji and Yamamomiji brightly color the garden, and there are illuminations at night.

Additionally, Tokugawaen is home to registered tangible cultural properties such as the Tokugawaen Black Gate, side storehouses, walls, a well with a bucket, and Sōsansō. The Black Gate still conveys the dignity of the former main gate of the Osone residence, while Sōsansō is known as an excellent example of modern Japanese architecture. By visiting alongside the adjacent Tokugawa Art Museum, visitors can gain a deeper appreciation of the history and culture of the Owari Tokugawa family as well as the charm of Japanese gardens.