廉池軒
廉池軒は後楽園南側に位置し、南門を入って右手側に見えます。1934年の台風で被害を受けた後復元され、それ以来建物の外観は変わっていません。後楽園の中でも第二次世界大戦の空襲を免れた数少ない建物のひとつです。
廉池軒は藩主の池田綱政（1638-1714）のお気に入りの場所でした。綱政は後楽園を造営した藩主で、正面の池にかつて咲いていた蓮の花を見ながらの朝食を好んだと言われています。
鯉が泳ぐ池には花崗岩の橋がかかっていますが、この橋は後楽園ができた当初から庭園設計の重要な要素でした。途中でVの字に曲がる橋は、ひらがなの「く」の字をイメージしたもの。東側の部屋は現在カフェとして使われており、そこには仏教の宇宙観を表現した円形の窓があります。そこからも庭園の眺めを楽しめます。
廉池軒からは庭園の池やなだらかな風景、松林などの景色を楽しめます。正面にある小さな池は庭園の北端と沢の池とを結んでおり、唯心山のふもとを流れて庭園東側の花交の池へと流れる水路の役割を果たしています。
廉池軒をはじめとする庭園内の施設は月替わりでオープンしており、事前に予約すれば貸し切りもできます。
Renchiken Rest House
The Renchiken Rest House is located at the southern side of the garden and is visible to the right after entering the South Gate. The building’s facade has not changed since it was restored after being damaged in a 1934 typhoon; it was one of the few buildings in the garden that survived the bombing raids of World War II.
The rest house was particularly favored by daimyo Ikeda Tsunamasa (1638–1714), who first built the garden and would often stop here to enjoy his breakfast and to admire the lotus flowers that once grew in the small pond in front.
The granite bridge that crosses the pond, now stocked with koi carp, has been a key design element since the garden was first built. The bridge changes direction midway in a V-shape that resembles the Japanese hiragana character for “ku.” The east room of the building, which is currently used as a cafe, features a circular window metaphorically representing Buddhist cosmology that frames the garden view.
Visitors to Renchiken can enjoy picturesque views of the garden’s ponds, rolling landscape, and pine grove. Directly in front of the house is a small pond, which acts as a waterway linking Sawanoike Pond to the northern end of the garden flowing past the foot of Yuishinzan Hill and emptying into Kakonoike Pond on the eastern side of the garden.
This house and others in the garden are open to the public in monthly rotation and the facilities can be rented by advance reservation.
