Video Narration Script

Kairakuen Garden is located
near Mito, which is the
capital of Ibaraki Prefecture.

One feature the garden is
famous for are the ume trees,
over 3000 of them.
The flowers are in bloom
during the month of March
and there is also an ume festival.

The garden was built according to
the design of Nariaki Tokugawa,
the 9th Lord of Mito, who lived
from 1800 to 1860.
Construction of the garden began
in 1841 and was completed
the following year.

The meaning of the name “Kobuntei”
essentially has to do with being
a house for the love of culture.
In Nariaki Tokugawa’s time,
people gathered here to play music
and have concerts, since these activities
were not permitted in the castle.

Many of the rooms in Kobuntei
have simple sliding doors with
hand painted designs that reflect
the Japanese appreciation for
the beauty of their natural environment.
A sliding door of this type is called
a “fusuma” in Japanese.