Hikarigaoka
Hikarigaoka
Station is
the terminus of the Toei Oedo Line
in the Hikarigaoka district of Nerima
Ward in the north-west of Tokyo.
This underground station has two
tracks on an island platform, which
is just 11.9 m below ground level,
the closest to the surface of all
Oedo stations.
Located
a few minutes' walk from Hikarigaoka
Station is the Hikarigaoka
Housing Complex , a public
housing complex of 11,000 units.
The site was previously a housing
complex for U.S. military personnel
called Grant Heights .
After the U.S. army vacated the
area in 1973, it was rebuilt and
converted into a public housing
complex. Today, with 186 ha of land,
it is one of the largest public
housing complexes of Tokyo with
over 12,000 families living here.
More than half the area is parks
and garden. A school, a library,
a post office, and a shopping area
are also located in the complex.
Right
next to the Hikarigaoka Housing
Complex is a small and quiet museum,
the Hikarigaoka Museum of
Art . Exhibits here include
Japanese pottery and block prints,
besides art works by both new and
old artists. Among the best pieces
at the museum are a 76 m long block
print called The Tale of the
Heikeh by Kazuo Inouef and
pottery by the famous Koichi Tamura.
Hikarigaoka
Park ,
one of the larger parks of Tokyo is
located 5 minutes from Hikarigaoka
Station. The park was previously a
U.S. military base and an airfield.
After the base was vacated in 1973
along with Grant Heights, it was converted
into a park. Hikarigaoka Park has
extensive open grassy areas, a large
public pool, a water-play area for
children, a gym, baseball grounds,
tennis courts, a camping area, running
and bike riding tracks, and above
all a Bird Sanctuary. The Bird Sanctuary
has a pond with many different species
of birds and ducks. There is a bird
watching area in the Sanctuary from
where birds can be watched through
binoculars. The Park also has several
food stalls and drink vending machines
for its visitors. The place is particularly
full during the cherry blossom viewing
days and when flea markets are held.
Hikarigaoka Park is free and is open
every week day, but the Bird Sanctuary
can be accessed only on weekends.
