[1] Matsudaira Sadanobu (松平 定信, January 15, 1759 – June 14, 1829) was a Japanese daimyō of the mid-Edo period, famous for his financial reforms which saved the Shirakawa Domain, and the similar reforms he undertook during his tenure as chief senior councilor (老中首座, rōjū shuza) of the Tokugawa shogunate, from 1787 to 1793.

He was also noted as a strong follower of the teaching of the Neo-Confucianism of Zhu Xi.

[2] In 1801 Matsudaira Sadanobu built an embankment in a wetland to create a reservoir, around which he planted a garden on a vast scale.

Most unusually, he opened the park to common people, regardless of their social status.

He also built a tea room called "Kyorakutei" which could be enjoyed by the common people.