RYUMON NO TAKI (RYUMON Waterfall)

It is also known as "RYUMON NO TAKI", one of the types based on TORYUMON, a legend of a carp which leaped up a waterfall and became a dragon. The waterfall is reconstructed by using rocks of Owari's suburban residence in Edo.

In 1669(Year 9 of the Kanbun period), Mitsutomo Tokugawa, the second generation domain lord, started construction of Owari's suburban residence(Toyama residence), which had the greatest garden of the day. In the garden, there was a RYUMON NO TAKI, framing the canyon named "MEIHOUKEI". The MEIHOUKEI had an elaborate device that caused the waterfall to swell when you crossed over all the steppingstones across the stream. All of the invited guests back in those days, generals(SHOGUN) and feudal lords(DAIMYO), were surprised and purred with pleasure.

The Toyama residence was located in Toyama town, Shinjuku ward, Tokyo. Although there is nothing much left to remind you of the Toyama residence nowadays, a large-scale rock garden from the Edo period was found on a premises of Waseda University in 1998(Year 10 of the Heisei period). Upon excavation by Waseda University and education board of Shinjuku ward, it was confirmed that the rock garden was a remains of the RYUMON NO TAKI in the Toyama residence. The stones were a volcanic rock called IZUISHI, with total number of 360 pieces and gross weight of 250 tons. It is presumed that they are a remainder of the building stones from the Edo castle. In Tokugawaen, these stones are used for bank protection, the riverbed, and stepping stones. They revived the RYUMON NO TAKI of Toyama residence by adopting the device of the swollen stream.

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