Tokugawaen: Japan’s Beautiful Garden
The view seemed as if it was taken straight off a postcard. As we took a leisurely stroll along Tokugawa Garden, we can’t help but be mesmerized with the beauty this Japanese garden has to offer. It was a calm and sunny morning and there were only a few people (mostly elderly) around the place, which made it all the more beautiful.
The Kansenro. This two-story building houses a restaurant, auditorium, and a store.
On our way inside Tokugawaen!
The eye-catching backdrop of Tokugawaen, or Tokugawa Garden, is a gem to be explored in Aichi Prefecture. The tranquility of the place makes it an ideal retreat for those who’d love a pleasurable time just admiring Japan’s natural beauty.
The Ryusen Lake or “Ryusenko”
The Ryumon no Taki (Ryumon Waterfall) has its own story. Legend has it that a carp leaped up the waterfall which became a dragon. It’s a recreated waterfall using the stones from its original site at the Owari residence outside of Edo.
Coming from a city where there are only a handful of gardens, I immediately appreciated the simplistic beauty of Tokugawa Garden. It was nothing too grand. In fact, its simplicity is admirable, having only the lush greens, waterfall, lake, and the animals inhabiting the garden to create the scenery.
Koi enthusiasts will love visiting Tokugawaen
“Would you like to feed the koi fish?” asked our tour guide. In just a split second, she hurriedly went to get a cup of feeds for the fishes. At first, the koi fish seemed to ignore us. We thought that they might be too full from breakfast. A Japanese staff went to us that it was too shallow for the koi fishes to swim towards where we threw the food, so we changed locations. After a few moments, the brightly-colored koi fishes started to swarm into our direction, hungrily waiting to be fed as we dropped the pellets into the pond. Soon after, their neighbor pigeons paid us a visit, but feeding them is not allowed. (Sorry, poor pigeons!)
Hello there, koi fishes! Have a great breakfast!
After some 20 minutes of visiting Tokugawaen, we snapped a couple of photos to document the beauty of the place. It was indeed a quick visit but it was a sweet memory to remember.
Details:
Address: 1001 Tokugawa-cho, Higashi-ku, Nagoya City, Aichi Prefecture, Japan
Contact: 052-935-8988
Operating Hours: 9:30 am to 5:30 pm daily
Closed on: Mondays, and from December 29 to January 1
Admission Fee: ¥300 for adults, high school, and college students; Discounts are available for large groups
Website: https://www.tokugawaen.aichi.jp/
How to get here: From the JR Ozone Station South exit, it’s only a 10-minute walk towards the Tokugawaen.
Written by Jastine Valeriano
