History
The site of the Kyu Shiba Rikyu Garden was originally part of Tokyo Bay. The land was reclaimed between 1655 and 1658. In 1678 the site was used for the official samurai style residence of Ōkubo Tadamoto (1604–1670), member of the Ōkubo clan and an official of the Tokugawa shogunate. The residence garden was designed by garden designers from the Odawara Domain, until 1614 under the rule of Daimyo from the Ōkubo clan. The garden was then known as Rakujuen. At that time, the garden included a beach to Tokyo Bay, however, as Tokyo expanded the sea next to the garden was reclaimed, and there is no connection to the ocean anymore. A remaining ocean water inlet is not used.
The residence changed ownership throughout time, and around 1860 belonged to the Kishū family of the Tokugawa clan. In 1871 the ownership changed again to the Arisugawa-no-miya clan. In 1875 the Imperial Household Agency purchased the residence and it became the Shiba Detached Imperial Villa and in 1891 a European style guest house was constructed.
In the Great Kantō earthquake on September 1, 1923, all buildings and trees on the site were destroyed by fire. Subsequently, in January 1924, the site was donated to Tokyo City as part of celebrations preceding the Shōwa period (1926 to 1989) of Emperor Hirohito.
The garden was rebuilt and opened to the public on April 20, 1924. In 1979 the Government of Japan designated the garden as a place of scenic beauty and special historic interest. The size of the garden, however, was reduced to make space for the railway tracks on the north side.
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