Sōraku-en

The gardens of Sōraku-en (相楽園) are in Chūō-ku, Kobe, Japan. Formerly attached to the Taishō-era residence of Kodera Yasujirō, ownership passed to the city of Kobe in 1941. Since then they have been open to the public.[1] Most of the former residence was destroyed in the Pacific War; the stables of 1907 survived and have been designated an Important Cultural Property.[1][2]

Sōraku-en
相楽園
Location5-3-1, Nakayamate-dōri, Chūō-ku, Kobe, Hyōgo Prefecture, Japan
Coordinates34°41′33″N 135°10′54″E
Opened1941
Owned byKobe City
Websitewww.sorakuen.com (jp)

It is one of the few historical Japanese gardens that exists within Kobe city. [3] It adopts a "chisen kaiyu shiki (池泉回遊式)”, style which is a style of garden that features a path around a pond.[4] The giant camphor tree standing inside the garden is considered one of the most iconic elements of the site. This tree is known to have been there before the original residence of Kodera Yasujirō was built.[5]

In the gardens are the former Hassam Residence, built by the English architect Alexander Nelson Hansell in 1902 and relocated to its current site in 1963 (ICP);[1][6] an Edo-period building shaped like a boathouse, dating from 1682-1704 (ICP);[7] a tea house;[1] and a stroll garden.[1]

In 2006 Sōraku-en was registered as a Place of Scenic Beauty.[8] The gardens take their name from a passage of the I Ching.[1]

  • Former Hassam Residence
    Former Hassam Residence
  • Rhododendron garden
    Rhododendron garden
  • Boathouse-shaped building
    Boathouse-shaped building

See also
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Sorakuen.

References
  1. "Sorakuen Cultural Heritage Online" 相楽園 [Sōraku-en] (in Japanese). Agency for Cultural Affairs. Retrieved 21 May 2012.
  2. 旧小寺家厩舎 [Stables of the Former Kodera Residence] (in Japanese). Agency for Cultural Affairs. Retrieved 21 May 2012.
  3. 健二, 小野 (8 March 2019). "相楽園の活用と運営の展望" [Perspective of Utilization and Management of Sorakuen Gareden]. 観光学 (in Japanese). 20: 54.
  4. "相楽園（沿革・施設）" [Sorakuen (History & Facilities)]. Sorakuen Garden Official Website (in Japanese). Retrieved 27 April 2020.
  5. 健二, 小野 (8 March 2019). "相楽園の活用と運営の展望" [Perspective of Utilization and Management of Sorakuen Gareden]. 観光学 (in Japanese). 20: 48.
  6. 旧ハッサム住宅 [Former Hassam Residence] (in Japanese). Agency for Cultural Affairs. Retrieved 21 May 2012.
  7. 船屋形 [Boathouse-shaped Building] (in Japanese). Agency for Cultural Affairs. Retrieved 21 May 2012.
  8. 相楽園 [Sōraku-en] (in Japanese). Agency for Cultural Affairs. Retrieved 21 May 2012.
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