View Point

The central feature of this garden is the pond (approximately 9,000m2). In former times, seawater was brought in to fill it, but it is now a freshwater pond. There are two small islands in the pond, Nakajima and Ukishima, which symbolize the ocean and lakes. There is also a sandy beach-like area (Suhama) in one corner of the pond.

This part of the garden was designed and built to be reminiscent of Seiko Lake (Xi Hu) in Hangzhou (today's Zhejiang), China. The rock configurations on Nakajima near the end of embankment were put in place during the early period when the garden was known as Rakujuen.

Tabu-no-ki grows in warm coastal areas. The branches of these trees grow into a hemispheric shape resembling a bowl turned upside down. They can be viewed here in the Kyu-Shiba-rikyu and in the grounds of the Hama-rikyu.

There is a large wisteria trellis at the entrance to the gardens. Around the beginning of May, large clusters of these lavender blossoms hang down from the trellis and the aroma of wisteria wafts through the air.