Kayonoike Pond

Kayonoike is a lotus pond inside Okayama's formal garden, fed by underground pipes from the garden's stream and cascading over a rock arrangement at its edge. From mid-June through August, large white ittenshikai lotus flowers bloom here, each up to 30 centimeters across, opening at dawn and closing by early afternoon. A small bridge crosses the center of the pond, and a weeping cherry tree stands at the north end while maples line the south side. The Nishikigaoka woods behind create a dense, layered backdrop. The lotus season is when the pond is most worth visiting and most photographed.