🗺️ Mori Garden (毛利庭園)毛利庭園

Located in Roppongi Hills, the 毛利庭園 (Mori Garden) is an urban oasis where one can pause for a moment amidst the hustle and bustle. Built during the Edo period, it originally served as the upper residence of the Mōri clan, the feudal lords of Chōshu. In the Meiji period, it became the residence of Masuzumi Rokuichirō, the founder of Chuo University. After the war, it transformed into the Tokyo factory for Nikka Whisky, and later came under the ownership of Asahi Television. It was refurbished to its current appearance when Roppongi Hills opened in 2003. Spanning 4,300 square meters, Mori Garden features a spacious strolling-style Japanese garden, complete with ponds, waterfalls, streams, and rivers. In addition to the landmark ginkgo tree, which stands 25 meters tall, the garden is planted with cherry blossom trees and maple trees, allowing visitors to enjoy the seasonal beauty of cherry blossoms in spring and autumn leaves in fall. Furthermore, the garden boasts several noteworthy highlights. Among them is "Kin no Kokoro," a public art installation by Jean Michel Othoniel, created to commemorate the 10th anniversary of Roppongi Hills and the Mori Art Museum. There is also the "cosmic arowana," a descendant of the arowana fish born from experiments conducted by astronauts, including Nakaimura Chiaki, aboard the Space Shuttle Columbia in 1994, which has been released into the garden.

It's a garden that originated from the Edo period, formerly owned by a daimyo. It retains garden stones from the Edo period still in use today, along with transplanted protected trees from its renovation. Public art designed by contemporary artists, as well as the attention-grabbing "宇宙青鱂魚" (Space Catfish), have also garnered significant attention.