Tokyo
Parks and Gardens
As
opposed to the popular belief that
Tokyo is a concrete jungle, the
city has a lot of green. The best
part is that no one has to go far
to get to one of these green places,
as they are interspersed with the
grey skyscrapers throughout the
city. Many of them are as big as
the localities they are situated
in. These large green spaces consist
of both parks and gardens, many
of which date back to the Edo period.
The
parks in Tokyo are of two basic
types – public and Imperial. The
public parks are open to the public
and generally do not have opening
and closing times. They are very
spacious and do not have any kind
of restriction on movement. Hence,
you can find children running and
playing around, young people performing
music or holding outdoor classes,
or older people resting on the green
grass.
Imperial
parks are stricter in the sense
that there are opening and closing
times, have entry tickets, and are
mainly situated around a shrine,
resort or palace in relation to
the Imperial Family. They are much
cleaner than the public parks and
much more beautiful and amazingly
well-maintained. Freedom of movement
is only allowed in designated places.
Here you will mainly find people
enjoying the beautiful scenes, or
reading and studying in the peace
and quiet of the place.
The
gardens of Tokyo are similar to
the Imperial parks in their beauty,
cleanliness, and maintenance. These
are more of tourist attractions
than places of relaxation. There
are two basic types of Japanese
gardens - Tsukiyama
and Karesansui . The Tsukiyama
feature ponds and tiny hills
and stones. The hills and stones
represent mountains and the pond
represents the sea. The Karesansui
contain white sand and stones.
The white sand symbolizes the sea
and the stones represent hills.
Both
the parks and gardens of Tokyo,
besides being places of relaxation
for the people of the city, have
always been one
of the prime attractions for the
visitors of Tokyo. The best time
to visit these beautiful expanses
of green is in April-May when the
cherry trees are in full bloom creating
some of the most beautiful scenes
in the world.
Given
below are some of the parks and
gardens in the Tokyo Metropolitan
Area:
PARKS:
Akatsuka
Park
Takashimadaira,
Itabashi Ward
8
minutes walk from Takashimadaira
Station
Arisugawa
Memorial Park
Hiroo,
Minato-ku
3
minutes walk from Hiroo
Station
Hamarikyu
Park
Hamarikyu,
Chuo-ku
5
minutes walk from Shimbashi
Station
Hibiya
Park
Hibiiya
Koen 1-6, Chiyoda-ku
2
minutes walk from Hibiya
Station
Higashi
Ayase Park
Higashi
Ayase, Adachi Ward
1
minute walk from Ayase
Station
Higashi
Shirahige Park
Tsutsumidori,
Sumida Ward
7
minutes walk from Kanegafuchi Station
Hikarigaoka
Park
Hikarigaoka,
Nerima Ward
5
minutes walk from Hikarigaoka Station
Inokashira
Park
1-18-31
Gotenyama Musashino-shi
3
minutes walk from Kichijoji Station
Johoku
Chuo Park
Sakuragawa,
Itabashi Ward
15
minutes walk from Kami-itabashi Station
Kameido
Chuo Park
Kameido,
Koto Ward
2
minutes walk from Kameido Suijin
Station
Kansenen-Koen
Park
3-5,
Nishi-Waseda, Shinjuku-ku
5
minutes walk from Waseda
Station
Kasai
Rinkai Park
Rinkai-cho
6-2-1, Edogawa-ku
1
minutes walk from Kasai Rinkai Koen
Station
Kiba
Park
Kiba
and Hirano, Koto Ward
5
minutes walk from Kiba Station
Kinuta
Park
Kinuta
koen 1-1, Setagaya-ku
20
minutes walk from Yoga Station
Nakagawa
Park
Nakagawa,
Adachi Ward
15
minutes walk from Kameari Station
Ohjima
Komatsugawa Park
Ohjima,
Koto Ward
3
minutes walk from Higashiohjima
Station
Rinshi
No Mori Park
Shimomeguro,
Meguro Ward
10
minutes walk from Musashi Koyama
Station
Roka
Koshun-en Park
Kasuya,
Setagaya Ward
15
minutes walk from Roka Koen Station
Shakujii
Park
Shakujiidai,
Nerima Ward
7
minutes walk from Shakujii-koen
Station
Shiba
Park
Shiba
koen 4-10-17, Minato-ku
2
minutes walk from Shibakoen
Station
Sumida
Park
Mukojima,
Sumida-ku
3
minutes walk from Asakusa
Station
Toyama
Park
Toyama,
Shinjyuku Ward
15
minutes walk from Shin-okubo Station
Ueno
Park
Ueno,
Taito-ku
Next
to Ueno Station
Ukima
Park
Funado,
Itabashi Ward
1
minute walk from Ukima-funado Station
Ukita
Park
Kitakasai,
Edogawa Ward
13
minutes walk from Nishikasai Station
Wadabori
Park
Omiya,
Suginami Ward
15
minutes walk from Nishieifuku Station
Otemachi,
Chiyoda-ku
5
minutes walk from Otemachi
Station
Yokoami-cho
Koen Park
Yokoami,
Sumida-ku
3
minutes walk from Ryogoku
Station
Yoyogi
Park
Yoyogi,
Shibuya-ku
5 minutes
walk from Yoyogi Station
Yume
no Shima Park
3-2,
Yume-no-shima, Koto-ku
10
minutes walk from Shin Kiba Station
Zenpukujigawa
Green Park
Narita,
Suginami Ward
15
minutes walk from Nishi-eifuku Station
GARDENS:
Chinzan-so
Garden
10-8
Sekiguchi 2 Chome, Bunkyo-ku
10
minutes walk from Edogawabashi Station
Hama
Rikyu Garden
Hamarikyuteien,
Chuo-ku
5
minutes walk from
Shimbashi Station
1-1-1
Shirokanedai, Minato-ku
5
minutes walk from Shirokanedai
Station
Imperial
Palace East Gardens
Marunouchi
5-10
minutes walk from Tokyo
Station
Jindai
Botanical Garden
5-31-10
Jindaiji-Motomachi, Chofu-Shi
15
minutes walk from Chofu Station
Kiyosumi
Gardens
3-3-9
Kiyosumi Koto-ku
3
minutes walk from Kiyosumi-Shirakawa
Station
Koishikawa
Botanical Garden
3-7-1
Hakusan, Bunkyo-ku
7
minutes walk from Myogadani
Station
Koishikawa
Korakuen Garden
1-6-6
Koraku, Bunkyo-ku
4
minutes walk from Iidabashi Station
Kyu-Furukawa
Garden
Nishigahara,
Kita-ku
7
minutes walk from Kagome
Station
Kyu
Shiba Rikyu Garden
1-4-1
Kaigan Minato-ku
Next
to Daimon Metro Station and Hamamatsucho
JR Station
Meiji
Shrine Outer Garden
Shinjuku-ku
7
minute walk from Gaien-Mae Station
Mukojima
Hyakkaen Garden
3-18-3,
Higashi-Mukojima, Sumida-ku
8
minutes walk from Higashi Mukojima
Station
Rikugien
Garden
Honkomagome,
Bunkyo-ku
2
minutes walk from Komagome
Station
Shinjuku
Garden
11
Naitou-machi, Shinjuku-ku
5
minutes walk from
Shinjuku Gyoemmae Station
Tonogayato
Garden
2-16
Minamicho, Kokubunji-shi
2
minutes
walk from Kokubunji Station
Yasuda
Garden
1-12-1
Yokoami, Sumida-ku
3 minutes
walk from Ryogoku Station
