Kairakuen

Kairakuen was laid out in 1842 by Tokugawa Nariaki, the lord of Mito, and its name means the garden to enjoy together - it was open to the public from its founding, which was unusual for a daimyo garden and is the point that distinguishes it from Kenrokuen and Korakuen, the other two of the three great gardens. It was planted for plum: about three thousand trees of a hundred varieties, chosen so the flowering runs from early February into late March rather than peaking at once. Plum flowers earlier than cherry, in cold weather, and carries a scent that cherry does not, so the experience is different in kind. A bamboo grove and a cedar wood on the approach were laid out deliberately as a dark passage before the open plum grove. Kobuntei, a wooden pavilion in the garden, was rebuilt after wartime destruction and gives a view over the grove and the lake.

What you actually see

• Three thousand plums - a hundred varieties flowering in sequence from February.
• Open from the start - a daimyo garden built for public use in 1842.
• The dark approach - bamboo and cedar laid out as a passage before the grove.
• Kobuntei - a wooden pavilion with a view over the grove and lake.

When to go

Late February to mid-March for the plum festival. Two hours.

Honest expectations

Outside plum season there is comparatively little - it is not a year-round garden like Kenrokuen. February weekends are crowded and the festival brings stalls and noise. Entry is charged for the main garden. The weather at plum time is genuinely cold.

Nearby

Mito city centre is close; Hitachi Seaside Park is north-east.