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Home - Travel - Sightseeing Guide - Kanto - Ibaraki
Kairakuen Garden
# 94   of 140 destinations
in our travel guide
access  -  admission  -  ratings  -  links

Earthquake Update
Kairakuen suffered damage from the earthquake, but was repaired and fully reopened on February 7, 2012.
More about the earthquake  

Ranked among Japan's three finest landscape gardens, Kairakuen is most famous for its over three thousand plum trees. Kairakuen is located in Mito, the capital of Ibaraki Prefecture, one hour northeast of Tokyo by limited express train.

Kairakuen was built relatively recently in 1841 by the local lord Tokugawa Nariaki. Unlike Japan's other two great landscape gardens Kenrokuen and Korakuen, Kairakuen served not only for the enjoyment of the ruling lord, but was open to the public. Kairakuen means "park to be enjoyed together".

While worth a visit throughout the year, Kairakuen is particularly popular during the plum blossom season, which usually takes place from late February through March. The garden features a forest of 3000 trees of over one hundred different plum tree varieties with white, pink and red blossoms. The Mito Plum Festival (Mito Ume Matsuri) is held annually from February 20 to March 31.

Besides the plum trees Kairakuen also features a bamboo grove, cedar woods and the Kobuntei, a traditional Japanese style building. Like the whole park, the Kobuntei has always been open to the public and served educational and recreational purposes. A nice view of Kairakuen and nearby Senba Lake can be enjoyed from the building's top floor.

Any Questions? Ask them in our question forum.

How to get there
Kairakuen is located in Mito City, 120 kilometers northwest of Tokyo. Mito is easily accessed from Tokyo's Ueno Station by the Joban Line. The one-way trip by limited express "Super Hitachi" takes 65 minutes and costs 4020 yen, while local trains take twice as long, but only 2210 yen.

From Mito Station, Kairakuen can be reached in a pleasant 30 minute walk along Senba Lake (a good English city map of Mito is available at the station's sightseeing information desk) or in 15 minutes by bus. During the peak of the plum festival, the trains on the Joban Line stop at the temporarily served Kairakuen Station, which stands just next to the garden.

Hours and Fees
Kairakuen Main Garden
Hours:6:00 to 19:00 (February 20 to September 30)
7:00 to 18:00 (October 1 to February 19)
Closed:No closing days
Admission:Free

Kobuntei Building
Hours:9:00 to 17:00 (until 16:30 from October 1 to February 19)
Closed:No closing days
Admission:190 yen

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Popularity of Kairakuen Garden:
Users who have been to Kairakuen Garden: 103
94th most visited of the 140 destinations in our sightseeing guide.

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English Links
Kairakuen
Official English website.

Japanese Links
Kairakuen
Official website.
Mito Ume Festival (mitokoumon.com)
Up-to-date information about the plum festival.

 

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