List of Yearly Events
April
First Sunday in April
Goshinko Festival
Goshinko Festival in Munetada Shrine in Okayama City.
A procession about 1 km in length of people wearing period costumes marches through the city, stopping at Korakuen on the way.
Sponsor: Munetada Shrine Committee, Okayama Chamber of Commerce
Fourth Sunday in April
Eisai Tea Ceremony
An event that began in 1933 to honor Eisai Zenji, a priest and tea master from Okayama.
Large tea festival held in the prefecture's five main styles.
Sponsor: Eisai Zenji Appreciation Committee, The Sanyo Shimbun
May
Third Sunday in May
Tea Picking Festival
10:30 a.m., 11:30 a.m.,
1 p.m., 2 p.m.
Each session lasts about 30 minutes.
An event that has been held since 1956.
You can enjoy watching the members of the Tea Picking Dance Preservation Society, based in Kaita, Mimasaka City, which is one of Okayama Prefecture's tea growing regions, demonstrating traditional tea picking and tea picking dance.
Pretty young ladies wearing a deep blue kimono with splashed patterns and red straps, gloves, and leggings and with cloth tied around their heads carefully pick each new leaf from the tea plants. You can also try picking tea yourself.
June
Second Sunday in June
Rice Planting Festival
11 a.m., 1 p.m.
Each session lasts about 1 hour.
This event first began in 1962.
You can enjoy watching traditional rice planting by hand and a rice planting dance demonstrated by the members of the Rice Planting Preservation Society, based in Tessei Town, Niimi City in Okayama Prefecture, and the members of the Kohjiro Folk Song Preservation Society.
Young ladies called "Saotomes", wearing a deep blue kimono with splashed patterns and a straw hat, plant rice seedlings with a good tempo, accompanied by a group of male drummers and singers called "Sage".
July
First Sunday in July
Kanrensetsu (Lotus Flower Viewing),
Korakuen asagao (Japanese morning glory) and hozuki (ground cherry) market
Kanrensetsu: 4 a.m. to 8 a.m.
Asagao and hozuki market: 5 a.m. to 9 a.m.
Kanrensetsu is an event in which the gardens open early so that you can enjoy the blooming of the lotus flowers, and it began in 1956.
In Korakuen, you can enjoy looking at the beautiful lotus flowers of Ittenshikai or "universe", a type of white large-flowered plant, and Oga lotus flowers.
In addition, at the Enyo-tei House you can enjoy a koto concert, or for a fee you can take part in a tea ceremony and eat dim sum (Chinese dumplings).
You can buy tickets in advance, comprising a set of a garden admission ticket, tea ceremony ticket and dim sum voucher, at Tsuji-rien and Joshouen, which are tea dealers in Okayama City.
In addition, at the western part of the outer garden you can buy potted plants and flower seedlings of asagao (Japanese morning glory) and hozuki (ground cherry) that have been grown in a vocational aid center within the prefecture.
Late July to mid-August
Special late-night garden opening,
Fantasy Garden
Garden closing time is extended to 9:30 p.m.
Enjoy a fantastical garden lit up by candles and illuminations.
October
First Saturday in October
Meeting to enjoy Noh in Okayama Korakuen
Noon to 4 p.m. (Starting time may vary depending on the program)
This meeting has been held since 1992 to promote and spread Noh theatre, a traditional Japanese art.
The plays are accompanied with explanations so that that even those attending for the first time can understand what is happening, making this truly a meeting to enjoy Noh-just as the name suggests.
Sponsor: Okayama Culture Foundation
August 15 in the old lunar calendar
Moon Viewing Ceremony
Garden closing time is extended to 9:30 p.m.
Since 1956, this ceremony has been held on the day that the harvest moon appears (August 15 in the old lunar calendar).
The garden closing time is extended to 9:30 p.m. for this event, in which you can enjoy gazing at the harvest moon from within the garden.
Although it is a metropolitan area, you can watch the harvest moon slowly rising over the mountain ridge without being obscured by buildings at all.
You can go onto the lawns (something that is not normally permitted) after 5 p.m. and enjoy a koto concert and tea ceremonies at Enyo-tei House. You will need to purchase a ticket in advance for the tea ceremony.
You can buy two tickets for admission to the gardens and for the tea ceremony as a set in tea dealers in Okayama City.
Late October to Mid-November
Okayama Korakuen Chrysanthemum Exhibition
About 450 pots of chrysanthemums grown by the prefecture's lovers of chrysanthemums are on display. Flowers in a wide variety of colors such as Japanese chrysanthemum, small-flowered chrysanthemum and miniature chrysanthemum bring color to Korakuen and impart their fragrant aroma.
Sponsor: Okayama Prefecture, Okayama Prefecture's Chrysanthemum Promotion Committee
Late October
Pine Straw Wrapping
9:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
This is a method of exterminating pests that has been employed since ancient times. It uses the fact that pests tend to come down from the branches and go onto the ground to get through the winter.
Straw wrapping is placed around the trunks of each pine tree in the garden to guide any pests into that wrapping.
In the next spring, before Keichitsu, which is one of the 24 traditional divides that originated in ancient China, the straw matting is removed from the trunks and burnt, thereby disposing of the pests inside.
November
November 3 Culture Day
November 3 Culture Day
Noon to 4 p.m. (Starting time may vary depending on the program)
Participation in Okayama Prefectural Culture Festival.
This event has been held every year since 1972, which was thirteen years after the Noh Stage was restored. It is greatly helping to spread Noh theater, a classical art, and develop regional cultures.
Sponsor: Okayama Prefecture, Okayama Noh Committee
January
January 1 to 3
Early Spring Festival Latest information
Free admission on January 1
This event adds color to the New Year in Korakuen. At Enyo-tei House, you can enjoy events befitting of the New Year such as a koto concert and the release of Japanese cranes, birds that are said to be a good omen.
February
Early February
Grass Burning Latest information
1 p.m. to 3 p.m.
This event began in 1965, and it effectively gets rid of pests just as new growth is appearing in the spring.
The brown grass goes up in flames and chars to black, making for one of Korakuen's early spring traditions.
Late-February
Pine Straw Burning Latest information
10:00 a.m. to 10:30 a.m.
This event has been held since 1976. The old straw wrapping that was applied the previous autumn is removed and burnt to dispose of the pests that spent the winter inside it.
After burning the pine straw, Spring is coming to Korakuen as well.
March
March 2
Memorial day commemorating the opening of the garden Latest information
Free admission
In 1884, the Ikeda family gave Korakuen to Okayama Prefecture and it opened to the general public on March 2. In 2000 that day was designated as the memorial day to commemorate the opening of the garden, 300 years after the garden was built, and it became a free admission day.
*The event's schedule and content and subject to change.