Koishikawa Korakuen Garden
It may have been Autumn but the leaves were changing colour very slowly last year. 1/250s 50mm F2.5 ISO 64.
Long before Tokyo was the capital of Japan it was still the main seat of power as the city of Edo, the heart of the Tokugawa Shogunate. During this period the system of Sankin-Kotai was in operation, where powerful lords (daimyo) from all over Japan would alternate their residence each year between Edo and their own lands. With so many powerful and important people in the city at all times, as well as the various branches of the Tokugawa family itself, having private residencies to either impress guests or to get a bit of peace and quiet was critically important. And what better way to do this than with your own special garden.
Upon writing this I realised I didn’t get many good photos of the gardens as a whole, but it is very compartmentalised. 1/400s 50mm F2.8 ISO 64.
Being able to create your own postcard as you walk around the garden was a really nice added bonus. 1/250s 50mm F2.8 ISO 400.
Each colour (or blacks) had their stamp tent you had to find as you walked around. 1/320s 50mm F4.0 ISO 64.
This meant when Japan transitioned to its modern era in the late nineteenth century, many of these gardens started to fall into public hands, with even more in the post-war years. Though many have been damaged or destroyed in earthquakes or bombings, they have been rebuilt and restored over the years for the continued enjoyment of the public. Koishikawa Korakuen Garden is one of the three remaining Edo gardens in Tokyo with many other beings built in the Meiji and Taisho periods. The entry fees are also very reasonable, only a few hundred yen, and for some you can buy a pass that gives access to multiple.
Handholding the camera to get this long exposure shot of the waterfall was not easy, but it made for a much better image. 1/2s 50mm F4.0 ISO 32.
With its own rice paddy, it wasn’t just ornamental plants that were growing here. 1/200s 50mm F4.0 ISO 64.
Autumn came very late last year, and I was keen to find somewhere that actually had good autumnal colours. For one reason or another I had to come to this part of Tokyo a week before and, having spotted it while walking, decided it would be a good idea to come back. Built for the Mito branch of the Tokugawa family in the early Edo period in 1669, it features influences from both Japan and China and its name derives from a poem that encourages rulers to act fairly and for the good of their people.
Structures were built around these pines to encourage them to grow in a certain way. 1/30s 50mm F2.8 ISO 64.
A group of tourists take their photo by the Chinese gate. 1/30s 50mm F2.8 ISO 64.
A close-up of a detail on the gate. 1/10s 50mm F2.8 ISO 64.
Thankfully Autumn doesn’t bring with it endless rainy days like it often does in the UK, and on my visit I was treated to another day of sunshine that eventually gave way to the light of golden hour shining through the leaves of the trees. As an added bonus, visitors could create their own seasonal postcard in the vein of a traditional woodblock print, by visiting the various stamp stations dotted around. It made for a very fun way to explore the garden and come away with a unique souvenir. They do love their seasonal changes in Japan.
I’ve really been enjoying my sunburst photography in Japan. They do help add an extra bit of interest and give a better feeling of the sunshine. 1/40s 50mm F16 ISO 64.
This sunburst shows the transition of the leaves from green to red. 1/125s 50mm F16 ISO 500.
With a great variety of scenery also came a great variety of things to photograph from interesting bridges, waterfalls and carefully shaped pine trees. A great deal of care and attention goes into these traditional gardens with each part holding its own significance. Though I feel I still have much more to learn before I can offer any kind of satisfactory explanation. Something to look forward to during my time in Japan.
Looking around there were some trees that had transitioned to full red. 1/640s 50mm F2.8 ISO 64.
The finished postcard, I should have given more pressure for the final blacks. 1/30s 50mm F2.8 ISO 64.
Holding it up to the light. 1/50s 50mm F16 ISO 640.
With the exception of some of the largest like Shinjuku Gyoen, many of these gardens are completely off the radar for tourists and are mostly enjoyed by locals or residents who have more time on their hands. But during those peak times of the year in Spring and Autumn it’s well worth considering some of them to get away from the very busiest of tourist traps, and to see a side of the city that locals enjoy. You ever know, you may even come away with a special postcard as a souvenir.
Unlike when this garden was first built in the Edo era, the city now looms over it. That original sense of privacy and inclusivity long gone. 1/250s 50mm F4.0 ISO 64.
On the way back to the train station I just had to stop at a road bridge to capture the rush hour traffic. At least for this long exposure I had a railing to lean on. 1/1.6s 50mm F2.8 ISO 64.
If you enjoyed this blog then please consider leaving a tip below.
