滄浪泉園

The Sorosen Garden is a traditional Japanese garden on the Musashino plateau featuring ponds, stone paths, and carefully arranged plantings. The site incorporates natural spring water that flows throughout the landscape and shapes its physical layout.

The garden was part of an estate owned by Shogoro Hatano during the Meiji through Taisho periods, when he served as a director of the Mitsui financial group. This connection to a wealthy family shaped how the property was developed and maintained.

The garden displays classical Japanese landscape design through its stone arrangements and water elements that follow traditional principles. Visitors can observe how these components create a harmonious relationship between built structures and natural forms.

The garden sits about 11 minutes on foot from Musashi-Koganei Station on the JR Chuo Line and welcomes visitors throughout the year at no cost. Early mornings offer a quieter experience and better light for appreciating the stone paths and water features.

The garden uses the natural Kokubunji cliff line, a geological formation that supports multiple natural springs across the property. This feature shapes how water moves through the site and gives it a character that few other gardens in the region possess.