If you were to take a walk along the western side of Mt. Hiei on the outskirts of Kyoto, you may come across a large garden. Through the hedgerows that border this 23-acre site, you’d see an immaculate collection of plants of all kinds; herbs and small shrubs in carefully arranged planters, neatly pruned bushes alongside grassy paths—and all surrounded by trees of many types.

At first glance you may not guess that this green paradise—one of Japan’s largest botanical gardens—was established by a pharmaceutical company, but the Takeda Garden for Medicinal Plant Conservation has played an important role in our environmental protection efforts and medicinal plant research for over 80 years.