Mōri Kai-no-kami's Residence, Daimyo garden in Roppongi Hills, Japan
Mōri Kai-no-kami's Residence is a garden with a pond, waterfalls, and stone paths in the Roppongi district of Tokyo, displaying the features of a traditional daimyō garden. The pond forms the center, with small streams running between stones and low plants, while paths made of flat stepping stones connect the different areas.
The estate belonged to Lord Mōri from the Chōfu domain and became the site in the early 18th century where ten of the Akō warriors ended their lives after avenging their own lord. Later the original layout disappeared, until the current garden was created as a reminder of that time.
The name recalls Mōri Kai-no-kami, who maintained this site as his residence, while the layout with naturally placed stone groups and streams conveys the aesthetics of that era. Visitors can walk the maintained paths today and experience how carefully plants and rocks were arranged to shape a miniature landscape.
The entrance is accessible daily and sits close to Roppongi Station on the Hibiya Line, while the Oedo Line stops a short walk away. The grounds are level and compact, so you can form an overall impression in just a few minutes.
The pond hosts descendants of medaka fish whose ancestors traveled aboard a space station, while wild ducks return each spring to raise their young. These animals move among the stones and plants as if the garden were a quiet corner far from the city.
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