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Hama-rikyu Japanese Garden features a Shioiri central pond filled with seawater and Kamoba duck hunting area.

This garden dates back to the garden of the main Edo mansion of the Kofu Tokugawa family, a relative family of the Tokugawa shogun, which was built in the mid-17th century.  With repeated expansion works, thereafter, the total area of the garden reached about 150,000 square meters, almost the same as now, and the style of the garden with a path around a central pond was also completed at the same time in the second half of the 17th century.  This central pond was what is called Shioiri pond, whose water is seawater from the adjacent seacoast.  Hence, the shape of the pond changes in accordance with the tides.  This idea still applies to the gardens built near the sea even now.  At the beginning of the 18th century, the 6th shogun Tokugawa Ienobu came from the Kofu Tokugawa family, and the garden became under the control of the Tokugawa shogun family.  The successive shoguns after him were eager to improve the garden to fit their preferences.  A duck hunting area for pleasure as well as several teahouses were built at the beginning of the 19th century.  After being used for the State Guest House under the control of the imperial family in the mid-19th century, it is opened to the public now managed by Tokyo Metropolitan Government. 

Currently, reconstruction work is underway to restore it to its old appearance.  Reconstruction of the three teahouses by the Shioiri pond has just been completed as shown in the photo.



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