Construction of the KORAKU-EN in Okayama as a Space of Rice Fields

Abstract

KORAKU-EN (GOKOH-EN) in Okayama was established in the GENROKU Era, 1689 as a Daimyo garden by Brigadier General Tsunamasa Ikeda-Matsudaira. The landscape of the KORAKU-EN is the space of lawn yard after Meiji revolution. The beginning of the garden, rice field was spread on the space and farmers work there and natural water was derived into the garden through the artificial canal. These facts are investigated and analyzed by using documents of the Ikeda families' archives of Okayama University. This paper discusses the fact of the usage of the rice fields of the garden historically.