Original Tokyo University School of Medicine Meiji Period...

TOKYO, JAPAN - 2016/03/29: Original Tokyo University School of Medicine Meiji Period Building at Koishikawa Botanical Garden is still maintained by University of Tokyo, its purpose is to contribute to research and education in plant sciences. Koishikawa Botanical Gardens are the oldest in Japan, with a long history originated as the Koishikawa Medicinal Herb Garden established in 1684 by the Tokugawa Shogunate. The Botanical Gardens were the birthplace of modern scientific research in botany in Japan after the Meiji Restoration. Plant conservation is one of the main activities of Koishikawa Botanical Gardens. Although it is best known for its rare species of plants and hundreds of sakura cherry trees, it also has a landscaped Japanese garden on its grounds. Koishikawa Botanical Garden has been named a Place of Scenic Beauty and Place of Historic Significance by the government of Japan. The gardens are open to the public. (Photo by John S Lander/LightRocket via Getty Images)