Utilizing the topography of the Musashino Plateau’s slopes and lowlands, a Western-style house was built on the small hill on the north side, a Western-style garden on the slope, and a Japanese garden in the lowland, creating a characteristic harmony between the Japanese and Western gardens.
Utilizing the topography of the Musashino Plateau’s slopes and lowlands, a Western-style house was built on the small hill on the north side, a Western-style garden on the slope, and a Japanese garden in the lowland, creating a characteristic harmony between the Japanese and Western gardens.
This garden was originally the residence of Count Mutsu Munemitsu, a prominent figure of the Meiji era, but after his second son was adopted into the Furukawa family, it became the property of the Furukawa family, though the buildings from that time no longer exist.
The designer of the current Western-style house and Western-style garden was Dr. Josiah Conder, a British architect, who also designed the Western-style house of the former Iwasaki-tei Garden, the Rokumeikan, and the Nikolai Cathedral, making significant contributions to the Japanese architectural world.
The creator of the Japanese garden was Jihei Ogawa VII, also known as Ueji, a gardener from Kyoto. In addition to this garden, he also designed the Mu-rin-an, the Kyoto villa of Aritomo Yamagata, the Heian Jingu Shrine Garden, Maruyama Park, and the villa gardens of business leaders around Nanzenji Temple.
After World War II, ownership was transferred to the state, but following local requests, the Tokyo Metropolitan Government borrowed it from the state free of charge and opened it to the public.
It is a valuable example that retains the prototype of a rare early Taisho era garden, and it is an excellent and representative example of the wonderful harmony between Japanese and Western styles achieved through the fusion of traditional methods and modern technology.
It is an important example as one of the few modern gardens that are extremely well-preserved, and it has been designated as a National Site of Scenic Beauty under the Cultural Properties Protection Law.
The following year, it was granted to Tokyo City as a memorial to the marriage of the Crown Prince (Emperor Showa), and after the restoration and maintenance of the garden area, it was opened to the public.
It is said that when Tadato built his residence, he called a gardener from his domain, Odawara, to create the garden. The garden was called ‘Rakujuen.’
