Kakonotaki Falls
The waterfall on the east side of the garden, surrounded by dense woods, feeds into Kakonoike Pond. The trees stretch along the path leading eastward from the wisteria trellis near the South Gate to Kakonoike at the southern end of the garden. The trees are tall and the foliage dense.
The pathway follows a narrow stream like a mountain cascade, with rocks strategically placed to calibrate the speed and strength of the flow. The powerful sound of the waterfall fills visitors’ ears as they descend to the pond.
When the garden was first built, the waterfall and pond were surrounded by mountain cherry trees and flowering shrubs that bloomed in bright profusion from one season to the next. Kako, the name of the waterfall—and originally the name of a shelter that stood here to admire the landscape—means “a variety of flowers.” The name serves as a reminder that this was once a place where flowers flourished.