Kairakuen, A Free Garden of Seasonal Blossoms and Serenity
Mito-shi Tokiwacho
3.9
Introduction
Kairakuen is one of the three most famous gardens in Japan, located in Mito City, Ibaraki Prefecture, and is as well-known as "Kenrokuen" in Kanazawa and "Korakuen" in Okayama. It is said that on the third and eighth of every month, the garden used to be open to civilians within the domain of the feudal lord, and it was named "Kairakuen" for its goodwill towards all classes. This tradition has continued to this day, making Kairakuen the only one of Japan's three famous gardens that is free to enter. In July 1999, Kairakuen and the adjacent Senba Park were merged into "Kairakuen Park", becoming the world's second largest urban park after Central Park in New York City. Opening hours February 20th to September 30th (6:00am to 7:00pm)
October 1st to February 19th (7:00am to 6:00pm)
Open year-round.
Transportation Get off at "Mito Station" on the JR Joban Line and take a bus for 15 minutes, or transfer to a local tram to "Kairakuen" station.
