It is said that the Muromachi period lord Morihisa Asina built a villa here, where a sacred spring gushed out.
When the Hoshina clan became lords of the Aizu domain, the garden became a recreation center, and a portion of the garden was used to grow ginseng and other medicinal herbs, hence the name “Goyakuen” (Goyakuen).
The garden was shaped by the shogunate, which invited the gardener Josada Meguro to create a unique garden as a private garden of a feudal lord. The garden is simple and warm, with a male waterfall on the right behind the pond and a female waterfall on the left. Date of construction: Edo period
Located a 15-minute walk east of Tsurugajo Castle, this Japanese garden is designated as a national place of scenic beauty. It is said that a former lord built a villa here, where a sacred spring gushed out.
The medicinal herb garden, from which the garden takes its name, is home to approximately 400 varieties of medicinal herbs and trees, including Aizu’s specialty medicinal ginseng. In addition, visitors can see a variety of flowers each season, such as peonies in spring, lotus in summer, and autumn chrysanthemums in fall.
The “Ochaya Goten” in the garden is a wooden thatched flat-roofed sukiya (tea house) built about 300 years ago, with fresh sword scars on the pillars that remain from the Boshin War.
Today, a matcha (powdered green tea) table is available, and visitors can enjoy the seasonal views from the same vantage point as the feudal lords. Why not relax from daily fatigue with a cup of secret medicinal herb tea that can only be tasted in Goyakuen?
8:30-17:00
Adults 330 yen
High school students 270 yen
Elementary/junior high school students: 160 yen
From JR Aizuwakamatsu Station
Take “Akabee” bus, get off at “Aizu Wakamatsu Chamber of Commerce and Industry”, and walk for 5 minutes.
Take Machinaka Shuttle Bus “Haikara-san” and get off at “Oyakuen” bus stop. 3 min. walk from the bus stop.