[1] Zhu Zhiyu, one of the greatest scholars of Confucianism in the Ming dynasty and Edo Japan, helped to redesign the garden.

However, since the garden was built in the spirit of senyukoraku (先憂後楽 "grieve earlier than others, enjoy later than others"), the name was changed to Kōrakuen (後楽園) in 1871.

The Korakuen is one of the few daimyō gardens in the provinces where historical change can be observed, thanks to the many Edo period paintings and Ikeda family records and documents left behind.

The garden was used as a place for entertaining important guests and also as a spa of sorts for daimyōs, although regular folk could visit on certain days.

[3] The garden was designed in the Kaiyu ("scenic promenade") style which presents the visitor with a new view at every turn of the path which connects the lawns, ponds, hills, tea houses, and streams.