Sawanoike Pond

Largest water feature in the gardens of Korakuen in Okayama, centered on three islands connected by small bridges and marked by a stone post that once indicated the border between two former counties of the prefecture. Nakanoshima Island holds the Shimajaya Rest House, accessible by bridge. The open-air Tsuridono Pavilion sits on Minoshima Island. The smallest island, Jarijima, is covered with white sand and pines. Under the 17th-century lord Ikeda Tsunamasa, a Buddhist chapel once stood on Nakanoshima before being relocated to Chishionomori Grove, where it remains today. The pond is a calm focal point for a walk through one of Japan's three famous classical gardens.