Kōko-en

Kōko-en (好古園) is a Japanese garden located next to Himeji Castle in Hyōgo Prefecture, Japan.^[1]

Kōko-en in Himeji

Koi carp in the pond

Sakura cherry blossoms with walls of Himeji Castle in the background

Tourists enjoying autumn foliage

History

It was constructed in 1992 at the site of the lord's west residence, to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the establishment of the Himeji municipality. In 2017, Kōko-en signed a sister garden agreement^[2] with Rohō-en, the Japanese Friendship Garden, in its sister city, Phoenix, Arizona.

Layout

The garden is about 3.5 hectares and has nine different gardens.^[3]