Tokyo - Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden

Although spring officially started in early-February there had been no real sign of it in Tokyo until recently. It was only in the last week that the weather has begun to get a bit warmer and a spring-feeling start to emerge.



Last Sunday we went to Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden. This is a 58.3 hectare park which was originally a residence of the Naito family in the Edo period, and then a private garden for the Impreial family until 1949.


The park contains gardens in 3 styles - French Formal, English Landscape and Japanese traditional. There are more than 20,000 trees, but it is still too early for the 1,500 cherry trees which bloom from late March (Shidare or Weeping Cherry), to early April (Somei or Tokyo Cherry), and on to late April (Kanzan Cherry). The trees that are beginning to bloom here are plum trees.


This is a panorama the western end of the Japanese garden from the tea house. The tall building in the background is the NTT Time Square tower which we often see from our neighborhood.

This is 'Rakuu-tei', one of 2 tea houses in the garden.



A panorama of the eastern side of the Japanese garden. I believe that the main area of cherry trees is further east, which is a famous location for 'hanami (花見) or cherry-blossom viewing parties.


Wikipedia also tells me that "with its proximity to Shinjuku ni-chome, Tokyo's best-known gay village, the park is also popular among gay men, and mass cherry-blossom viewing parties are organized in the park by local gay bars."



I guess it is also a good place for seeing spring daisy-chains.