Mifuneyama Rakuen — Garden in a Cliff Face

Mifuneyama Rakuen, a 500,000-square-meter garden carved into the forested slopes of Mt. Mifuneyama (sheer granite cliffs rising 210m from the garden floor), was constructed over 3 years beginning in 1845 by the 28th lord of Takeo Han. The garden contains 200,000 azalea bushes that cover entire hillsides in crimson and pink in late April; in autumn, 4,000 maple trees produce an equivalent effect in orange and red. The illumination events (spring and autumn) turn the garden into a light art installation after dark.