INFORMATION

• address1-1, Kokyogaien, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo
• access5-minute walk from Subway "Nijubashimae <Marunouchi> Sta."

The statue of KUSUNOKI Masashige, which took about 3 years to prototype and 10 years to build to completion.

Kokyo Gaien National Garden is a 5-minute walk from Nijubashimae Station. In one corner of this garden, the statue of KUSUNOKI Masashige, a loyal subject of the Kenmu Restoration, can be found. The statue of KUSUNOKI Masashige boasts a height of about 4m (about 8m including the pedestal). When it appears in front of you, its majestic appearance is stunning. Together with the statue of SAIGO Takamori in Ueno Park and the statue of OMURA Masujiro at Yasukuni-jinja Shrine, it is considered one of the three major statues of Tokyo.

It displays KUSUNOKI Masashige as he tries to bow his head while pulling down on the reins of his horse, trying to control it. This is the heroic figure of KUSUNOKI Masashige welcoming Emperor Go-Daigo on the route to Hyogo after his return from the island of Oki in 1333.

One of KUSUNOKI Masashige's ancestors, KUSUNOKI Shiro, was MINAMOTO no Yoritomo's servant when he entered Kyoto. It is estimated that the KUSUNOKI clan, once shogunal retainers of Musashi Province, moved to Kawachi to serve the Hojo clan and manage Kawachi Province.

Eventually, falling in with Emperor Go-Daigo's plan to overthrow the Shogunate, Masashige was given the official title of Lieutenant of the Middle Palace Guards. It is known that Masashige, a relative of the HATTORI family (a ninja family at that time) fully cooperated with them to make use of ninja guerrilla tactics in order to deceive the enemy, leading Emperor Go-Daigo's imperial restoration to success.

KUSUNOKI Masashige's statue was a commemorative project for the 200th anniversary of the Besshi Copper Mine in Ehime Prefecture. In 1891, the Tokyo Fine Arts School (currently the Tokyo University of the Arts) received the request for producing this project. Copper from the Besshi Copper Mine was used for the project. TAKAMURA Koun was in charge of the head, YAMADA Kisai and ISHIKAWA Komei were in charge of the body and armor, and GOTO Sadayuki was in charge of the horse.

More than 20 portraits of KUSUNOKI Masashige existed, but they all had different physiques and there was no prevailing reference material. As a result, the artists emphasized reproducing the facial expression of an excellent tactician during the production of the statue.

KAWASAKI Chitora, a historical painter, was in charge of the armor. He studied the temples, shrines and relics related to KUSUNOKI Masashige, and completed the design while supplementing historical facts. GOTO Teiko, who was in charge of the horse, dissected the corpse of the horse that he received from the War Horse Bureau. He went to Tohoku himself, took pictures of many horses, made models, and reproduced the details.

It took about 3 years to make a wooden prototype sculpture, and 10 years to complete the statue. The Statue of KUSUNOKI Masashige was produced with a lot of knowledge, time and passion. Why not take a closer look, observe its sophistication, and experience its power?

Kokyo Gaien National Garden, where the statue of Masashige KUSUNOKI stands, is a large National Garden whose total area is about 115 ha. In 1949, a part of former Imperial Garden was open to public and still now, a lot of people come to this place. The garden consists of Gaien area with Imperial Palace centered, Kitanomaru area and 12 moats.

The area along Hibiya-bori Moat, where the statue stands, is a perfect place to take a breather from taking a walk. In front of you lies a shop, Kusunoki Sabou, where you can have coffee, tea, matcha and sweets easily. Their popular menu is Matcha soft serve ice cream using matcha carefully selected by a highest-ranked Japanese tea master 10-level. You can fully enjoy the taste of matcha with best-balanced bitterness and sweetness.

Walking toward Yurakucho area from the statue, you will find a restaurant, Nanko Restaurant. At lunchtime, they serve set menu meals with fried chicken or grilled fish as a main dish that come with rice, miso soup, pickles and two kinds of side dishes. In addition, they also prepare Hot Pot meal course, curry and udon noodles. This place is perfect for dropping by while taking a walk.

Walking toward Tokyo Station leads you to Wadakura Fountain Park. There are many benches and resting places equipped surrounding the big fountain. You can see many people relaxed in the shade or enjoying lunch here and there. At Starbucks Coffee inside the park, you can taste drinks or sweets at the terrace seats looking at the big fountain.

Kokyo Gaien National Garden is well-known as a place where you can feel four seasons with cherry blossoms and colored leaves. Various kinds of cherry trees including Yoshino cherry trees, Yamazakura cherry trees and double flowered cherry trees are planted. Outside the garden, there are many cherry blossom viewing spots such as the row of cherry trees of Daikancho-dori Ave., north of the Kokyo Gaien Garden and Chidori-ga-fuchi Park located near Hanzo-mon Gate. You can enjoy cherry blossom viewing in the area around the statue as well.

Every year at Kokyo Gaien National Garden, from the end of November to the beginning of December, colored leaves are at their best. You can see Japanese black pine trees and maple trees cohabit at the Imperial Palace and the row of gingko along the moat, which is a special scenery at the garden. Around the statue of Masashige KUAUNOKI, you can enjoy the red and yellow maple trees and leaves in fall. Take a picture of the statue against the colorful leaves, and you can have the one unique to the season.

For making the bronze statue, it took three about three years to make a carved wooden prototype and totally ten years to complete it. With a lot of knowledge consolidated, taking time and bringing enormous passion, the statue of Masashige KUSUNOKI was made. Why don't you observe the carefully made molding of the statue closely taking a rest at the shop of the café nearby.