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Japan Defense Focus No.114 Aug. 2019

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Koraku-en Garden

Koraku-en Garden

Japan has many gardens with beautiful scenery, and among them all, Kenroku-en (Kanazawa City, Ishikawa Prefecture), Kairaku-en (Mito City, Ibaraki Prefecture), and Koraku-en (Okayama City, Okayama Prefecture), which we will introduce this time, are famous gardens called “Three Great Gardens of Japan.”

Koraku-en, located in Okayama City in western Japan, was built approx. 300 years ago in the early Edo period (from 17th to 19th century) as a place of peace for Okayama’s feudal lord.

Surrounded by the Asahi River that flows through the city, this garden, situated on the river island, opposite side of Okayama Castle, was designated as a nation’s Special Place of Scenic Beauty in 1952 and is maintained and preserved as a historic cultural heritage to be passedon to future generations.

In the garden’s central area, there is an elegant meandering stream. In addition, there is a building with a waterway running through it. This building, known as “Ryu-ten,” offers a beautiful view of the garden from itssitting area.

The JGSDF is stationed at the Camp Nihonbara in Katsuta District, Okayama. The 13th Artillery Unit, the 13th Tank Company, the 13th Antiaircraft Artillery Company, and the 13th Logistic Support Unit, etc. arestationed there, training hard day and night, under the commanding policies “A Bright and Lively Camp” and “Integration with the Local Communities”.

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