7 must-see parks in Tokyo to save money and relax

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There are so many parks in Tokyo, and it’s hard to know where to start, so let’s start by borrowing the seven parks that appear in a book, “Tokyo Park” by Japanese novelist Yuka Koji, and introduce them one by one. The main character is a college student who likes photography (the movie version is performed by Japanese actor Haruma Miura). One day he is entrusted with the fantastic task of following a mother and daughter, and in the process of “following” them, he also takes pictures of their visits to various parks.

Although the park is not the main character of this novel, but as a background, Kouji also through a few lines, a few key words, pointing out that each park has its “character” and “scenery”, the scenes in the book, including Mizumoto Park, Hibiya Park, Anvil Park, Washing Foot Pond Park, Setagaya Park, Wada Hori Park, Row Boat Park and Inokashira Park. Next, let’s introduce each of these beautiful but easily overlooked spots that are great for taking photos. If you like to visit Tokyo, go to visaexpress.com for more information. 

Mizumoto Park

This is the first park that appears in the novel, and the photography-loving hero looks at this park and remembers his hometown Hokkaido, where the straight aspen boulevard becomes the most elegant imagination. It is the only park in Tokyo with a “water town” view. Poplar trees, Metasequoia trees and Japanese Alder trees stand in the park, and the boulevard and water town atmosphere give people a sense of tranquility away from the hustle and bustle of the city.

A variety of plants are planted in the park, and during the cherry blossom season, the park is also filled with flowers, and a “cherry blossom dike” can be seen on the west side of the park, which is also a major attraction of Suimoto Park.

Hibiya Park

Hibiya Park has been open for over 110 years since 1903. It was originally intended to be a government office, but due to the unstable soil, it was finally designated as a park. The team responsible for the design was mainly composed of people who studied in Germany, so many elements of German-style gardens were added to the composition, and the “heart pond” and stone wall were left in the park to preserve the Japanese style. In 1923, the Great Field Music Hall was completed, and Hibiya Park had more opportunities for music performances than other parks.

Located in the center of the city, Hibiya Park’s water spray plaza is one of the representative sights of Hibiya Park, as it puts on a light and playful water spray show from 8:00 a.m. to 21:00 p.m. every day, surrounded by flowers and skyscrapers. Here, you can capture cute children watching the water show and office workers who come to take a break during working hours.

Anvil Park

Every park is large, but Anvil Park is particularly large, and it is said to have been a golf course. It’s a great place to take photos because there are many people with children playing there because of the open space. — “Tokyo Park

Before the war, it was an air defense green, and after the war, it became a golf course for the capital, and the atmosphere created by Anvil Park was a vast existence. Later on, the park was positioned more towards a space where “every family can come happily”, and finally, the natural terrain, grass plaza and woods were used to form a family-oriented place for fun and sports together, and as the main character in the novel says, “it is a good place for taking (family) photos”.

Anvil Park is not only a famous cherry blossom viewing spot, but also a hiking spot for the neighboring schools, mainly because in addition to the spacious green space, there is also the Setagaya Museum of Art, which maintains a certain standard of exhibitions and is worth visiting.

Awaji Pond Park

I have heard that the park is crowded during the cherry blossom season, but now that the cherry blossoms have faded, the park is sparsely populated, but it is still very green and beautiful. — “Tokyo Park

Awaji Pond Park is a park with a vast freshwater pond, the main source of water from the Shimizu Pond in Kitasenjo, Tokyo. In the Edo period, the beauty of this area was once captured by ukiyo-e artist Kakawa Hiroshige, who painted it, and it became the “Senshu no Ikebukuro Kusatsu” in the “Meisho Edo Hundred Views” that you can see now.

In spring, cherry blossoms are in full bloom, in autumn, red leaves can be enjoyed, and in winter, the park is a winter paradise for birds. The park is vibrant and has attractions related to historical figures such as Katsukai Boat and Takamori Nishigo, making it a park with both natural and humanistic atmosphere.

Setagaya Park

Setagaya Park is a park for children, and it has a steam train on display. The introduction says that it is a D51 train, which I know is a popular type of steam train, and I used to ride a real steam train when I was a child. — “Tokyo Park

Wadabori Park

This park has a friendly smell and exudes a warm feeling, and instead of artificiality, there is a relaxing air and the stores have a nostalgic taste of the Showa era. –Tokyo Park

Located in Suginami-ku, Tokyo, Wadabori Park is not too famous, but it is a place for local residents to relax and enjoy their daily life. In the past, Wadabori Park was considered a famous place for cherry blossom viewing, but in recent years, many cherry trees have been cut down to prevent flooding, so the park has lost its elegance, but the local people are still attached to it.

Rowboat Park

In 1933, a local resident, Tokyo Prefectural Assemblyman Gen Tanaka, who was a farmer by birth, actively contributed to the creation of this park, and in gratitude to him, the name of the park was borrowed from Tanaka’s house, “Gyobune”. 50 years later, the park took over the nature zoo of Edogawa Ward, and the park became even more lovely and vibrant, and then in 1989, the north side of the park was renovated. The latter has become an elegant place for local people to meet, drink tea and recite poems.