Shurakuen Garden was laid out in the 17th century as a place for Tsuyama's lords to receive guests. It is smaller than its original form, but the surviving ponds, islands, pavilions, and borrowed scenery still give it a composed, old-fashioned grace.
The garden is best as a quiet counterpoint to the castle walls. It changes gently by season: cherry blossoms and fresh green in spring, lotus and lilies in summer, autumn leaves if the timing is right, and a spare beauty after snow.