Mifuneyama Rakuen

The garden was laid out in 1845 by the lord of Takeo at the foot of Mifuneyama, a cliff of about 210 metres that closes it on one side, and covers around fifty hectares. The planting is azalea and rhododendron - some two hundred thousand plants, which flower together in the middle of April and turn whole slopes solid pink and red - along with a three-hundred-year-old wisteria and a five-hundred-year-old great camphor tree in a grove behind the garden. Since 2015 the collective teamLab has installed digital work through the grounds in summer and autumn: projections onto the rock face, illuminated ovoids among the trees, and light responding to movement, shown after dark on a separate ticket. The two identities sit oddly together and people tend to come for one or the other. Takeo Onsen and its 1914 wooden gate are in the town below.

What's there

• Two hundred thousand azaleas - flowering together in the middle of April.
• A 210-metre cliff - Mifuneyama closing the garden on one side.
• Ancient trees - a three-hundred-year wisteria and a five-hundred-year camphor.
• Summer light work - teamLab installations through the grounds after dark.

When to go

Mid-April for azaleas; July to October evenings for the installation. Two to three hours.

What to expect

Ticket prices rise sharply in both special seasons and the two experiences are separate. Azalea peak is about ten days. The night installation involves uneven paths in the dark. Outside those windows the garden is quiet and much plainer.

Nearby

Takeo Onsen is in the town below; Arita and its kilns are west.

Key facts