| Nationally famous as a plum park, Kairakuen Park is one of the three great parks of Japan, the other two being Kenrokuen Park in Kanazawa and Korakuen Park in Okayama. This park was created in 1841 by the ninth Mito Clan Lord Nariaki Tokugawa. Its name means that the park is not only for the enjoyment of the Clan lord but also for the common people. This 13-hectare park has 3,000 plum trees of 100 varieties and with the coming of Spring, attracts crowds of plum blossom viewers. The park also flowers in Summer with azaleas and in Autumn with Japanese bush clover. The Kobuntei Villa nestled among the cedars and bamboos on the west side of the park was used for the clan lord's relaxation and for poetry meetings to which writers and artists were invited. It has a plain but distinctive atmosphere. From the three-story Rakujuro Belvedere you can see the whole park, while directly below lies Lake Senba. |
