Renchiken Rest House

The Renchiken Rest House at the southern end of Korakuen Garden dates to the garden's founding and was particularly favored by daimyo Ikeda Tsunamasa, who would stop here each morning to eat breakfast and admire the lotus flowers in the small pond below. The facade has not changed since a 1934 typhoon restoration, making it one of the few garden buildings that survived World War II bombing raids. A granite bridge crossing the pond changes direction in a V-shape resembling the hiragana character for ku. The east room, now a cafe, features a circular window framing the garden view, a design element referencing Buddhist cosmology. The granite bridge and small waterway linking the ponds remain key design features.