The rain gardens at the Higashi Oji-Imadegawa intersection (southwest corner.)Gardens created

Rain gardens are green spaces that collect and temporarily store rainwater so it permeates underground slowly. They have become an indispensable part of green infrastructure thanks to their role in improving drainage, lessening the burden on sewage systems, and purifying water.

Based upon Kyoto City's Plan for the Creation of Rain Gardens, three existing green spaces located at three Kyoto City intersections were renovated as rain gardens between October 2023 and March 2024. These rain gardens include one created by Ueyakato Landscape at the Higashi Oji-Imadegawa intersection (southwest corner.)

Located at the Higashi-Oji Imadegawa (or Hyakumanben) intersection, this rain garden is composed of two spaces: a corner space at the intersection's southeast corner and a circular space on the sidewalk. To express the feeling of Kyoto, the seven stones of the Kamo River (Kurama stones, Kibune stones, Fugo-oroshi stones, Maguro stones, Itokake stones, Hata stones, and Benikamo stones) were used. The seven stones of the Kamo River are highly prized garden stones mainly drawn from the Kamo and Takano river basins in the Sakyo and Kita Wards of Kyoto.

During construction, we discovered that the garden's pebble beach, which had been intended to have a water storage function, was rendered impermeable due to the presence of a rock bed. As a result, we dug deeper than had originally been planned to secure the space's function as a rain garden.