Rakuraku-en, Japanese rock garden at Hikone Castle, Japan

Rakuraku-en is a former lower residence of the Ii family in Hikone, begun in 1677 by Ii Naooki, with Edo-period sukiya-style buildings such as the Goshoin, Jishin-no-ma, Rakuraku-no-ma, and Raiden-no-ma. From the Goshoin, the dry landscape garden borrows the pond of the neighbouring Genkyu-en as borrowed scenery.

Ii Naooki, fourth lord of Hikone Domain, began building this site in 1677 as a lower residence of the Ii family, then known as Tsuki Goten. Ii Naosuke was born here on 29 November 1815. The site lies within the Special Historic Site of Hikone Castle and, with the neighbouring Genkyu-en, was designated a Place of Scenic Beauty on 9 June 1951.

The name Rakuraku-en comes from the "Rakuraku no ma" room and replaced the Edo-period name Tsuki Goten after the Meiji era. The garden seen from the Shoin is a dry landscape garden borrowing the pond of Genkyu-en as borrowed scenery; until before the war a pond lay between garden and Shoin. Ii Naosuke was born in this residence on 29 November 1815.

You can reach the garden from the castle grounds, and signs in multiple languages help you find your way around. Wear comfortable walking shoes since the paths are narrow and sometimes uneven.

The garden seen from the Shoin is a dry landscape garden that borrows the pond of Genkyu-en next door as its backdrop. Until before the war a pond spread between the garden and the Shoin, so the borrowed view once worked differently. The site lies within the Special Historic Site of Hikone Castle and, with Genkyu-en, forms the Place of Scenic Beauty "Genkyu Rakuraku-en", designated on 9 June 1951.