Tourist Guide About Us Kamo Palace Meals Iris Garden
Japanese Iris Japanese Iris in depth Greenhouse Miscellaneous Plants

Village Headman's Palace Kamo Palace
an estate of the Kamo Family,
the owner of the Garden and a descendant of village headman since Momoyama era

Village headman's palace Kamo Palace is a group of buildings in the centreal-eastern corner of the Iris Garden,
and it is an estate of the Kamo Family.
Nagayamon is the entrance of the Palace, built in 1773.

Right picture shows the Nagayamon on May 5th, with some bunches of Sweet Flag leaves hanging from the eaves.

On a fence by Nagayamon, an Onigawara with Japanese Iris is set to protect the estate from the evils.
Kamo Palace is open to the public throughout the opening period of the Iris Garden. The Palace is irregularly closed at other times of the year, so we asvise those visitors who want to visit the palace to contact us in advance.

An inner view of the Palace. This room with Tatami was called Dei that was used as a dining room in the past. Very thick logs are used as beams of ceiling. Beyond sliding doors is a pond with ducks.

Earthern floor in the Palace, built in 1773, the same years as the Nagayamon. The family used to set the meals on the wooden floor on the right, and ate meals at Tatami room on the background called Dei.
Mise Room
A three-mat room in the foreground is called Mise that was used as a place of recepion. Beyond Mise are four ten-mat drawing rooms. You are charged 500 yen for the entry into these rooms.

 Beams and Ceilings
They are composed of thick woods.

Indoor display of Japanese Iris in early May.
Display of Snowflake Primroses from April 29th to early May.

Pond
Behind the main building of the Palace is a pond, where Mallards, Ringed Teals, Black Swans and other waterfowls are at pasture.

A picture of the Kamo Palace about 1935. Ricefield was in front of Nagayamon, and Japanese Iris were planted in a corner of the field.
Brief History of the Kamo Family
The Kamo Family is a village headman of the area since Momoyama era. It has preserved many old documents, including a letter in 1590 from Ieyasu Tokugawa(then the Lord of Hamamatsu, later the founder of Tokugawa shogunate). Some of the documents were moved to National Institute of Japanese Literature, known as Kamo Family Documents among early modern age historians.

On a land register on 1604, the Kamo Family was recorded as a dominant village headman, occupying more than half the Kuwaji village, Sano county, Enshu district. At first the Family cultivated rice by themselves, but it started possessing more and more ricefields for tenant farmers in early to mid 18th century. In mid 19th century, the Family was a prominent landlord in the area, receiving ca. 3.45tons of rice from 64 tenants. Moreover, with permission of Kakegawa domain ruling the area, the Family also functionned as an official banking institution. Bad debt against clans of Kakegawa domain incresed in sum by late Edo era, and more bad debts emerged as the domain dissolved by the Meiji Restoraion.
Visited by many people of culture frequently, the Family in those days was eager about Kokugaku(Japanese national revival philosophy) and short poems.

Renowned old family representing the area since Meiji era, the Kamo Family lost ca. 49,600 square meters of land by land reform after the Second World War, almost perishing in the trend. However, successful business of Japanese Iris Garden that started in about 1955 revived the family and enabled it to repair the Palace. Today, with some 110,000 visitors a season, Kamo Garden is one of the most famous Iris garden in Japan.

The Kachoen Group, possessed by the Family, is developing year by year; in addition to Kamo Garden, Fuji Kachoen(Asagiri plateau, Fujinomiya, Shizuoka prefecture) opened in 1990, Matsue Vogel Park(Matsue, Shimane prefecture) in 2001, Kakegawa Kachoen(Kakegawa, Shizuoka prefecture) in 2003, Kobe Kachoen(Kobe, Hyogo prefecture) in 2006 and, as the first case of overseas expansion, Wujin Kachoen has just opened at Changzhou, Jiangsu province, China in 2010.

Nagayamon, the Stable, the ground floor of the Main House etc. were built in 1773. The first floor of the Main House was added in 1884, when the thatched roof was replaced by tiled roof. The northernmost drawing room of the Main House and the Barn were reformed around 1910.

Japanese Iris had been grown here from ancient times to chase evils. The Iris were increased in number in early Meiji era, and an Iris Garden was formed in front of Nagayamon. The garden was reduced during the Second World War to increase food production, but it expanded again after the war to be in present state.
Kamo Garden
110 Harasato, Kakegawa City, Shizuoka Prefecture, 436-0105 JAPAN
tel +81-537-26-1211 fax +81-537-26-1213
e-mail kakegawa@kamoltd.co.jp