Makino Botanical Garden
Tribute to the Founder of Japanese Botany
Makino Botanical Garden is large park located on Mount Godai, in the south of Kochi, on Shikoku Island in Japan. The 8-hectares site is dedicated to showcasing the work of the 1rst Japanese botanist, Tomitaro Makino, and to scientific research. Families with children and young couples particularly love the hilly green space.
The Kochi Prefectural Makino Botanical Garden is spreading on the heights of Mount Godai, just next to Chikurin-ji temple to which part of the garden borrowed its superficies. Opened to the public in April 1958, it stands has an homage to Tomitaro Makino (1862 – 1957), the "Father of Japanese botany" and native of Sakawa, a town of the former Tosa domain (now Kochi prefecture).
The Father of Japanese botany
Makino took interest in plants at a young age, and in 1884 he was admitted at the Botany Courses of Tokyo University’s Faculty of Sciences. In 1889, he discovered a new species that he named Yamatogusa (Theligonum japonica) and thus became the 1rst Japanese to give a scientific name to a new plant species. He collected and classified about 400,000 specimens in his lifetime and in 1940, he published his work of reference, Illustrated Flora of Japan (Nihon Shokubutsushi Zuhen), that botanists and plant amateurs still use nowadays.
The national broadcasting channel NHK aired Ranman (らんまん), a drama inspired by Makino’s life to celebrate his 160th birthday from April to September 2023, thus rekindling the public's interest for the area.
A scientific stroll garden
Makino Botanical Garden is home to 3,000 plant species studied by Makino, integrated in a natural ecosystem and adapted to Mount Godai’s environment. Its main entrance is accessed by a large parking and served by the My-Yu Bus Line. It is manifested by stone walls reminding of a castle 🏯’s fortifications overgrown with vegetation. The garden’s alleys meander through various areas where specifically selected flowers bloom throughout the year.
Several modern construction were built since 1999 to sustain the successive extensions of the garden, can be spotted along the walk. They provide various exhibitions on Makino and botany, and also 2 research centers, renowned in the fields of biodiversity and medicinal herbs.
The Makino Museum of Plants & People (1999), that set the stylistic standard for the other buildings, associates concrete, glass and wood while perfectly blending into its environment. It was designed by Hiroshi Naito, the architect of the Toyama Prefectural Museum of Art and Design and of several shops for the traditional confectionery maker Toraya.
The great greenhouse (Conservatory), renovated in 2010, displays a beautiful collection of tropical plants, orchids and cacti, interspersed with African-style statues. Various vantage points, including one under a pond, are arranged to view the plants at every angle.
An easy and beautiful excursion near Kochi
Most of the signage is in Japanese, but that doesn’t prevent from enjoying the place, even without reading the language. The indispensable souvenir shop and a Western-style restaurant with a nice elevated viewpoint on the garden stand in the heart of the park. To avoid the long queue on the weekends, it is also possible to have a picnic in the designated areas in the north and the south of the garden.
With its modern facilities and well-maintained alleys, Makino Botanical Garden is an ideal excursion for everyone. It is easy to spent half a day here, adding a complementary visit of the nearby Chikurin-ji temple. It can also be part of a one-day tour including Katsurahama Beach 🏖.
On a side note, the former residence of Tomitaro Makino located in Tokyo’s Nerima ward is now a garden to his memory (Makino Memorial Garden).