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Hama-rikyu Gardens and the Shiodome District in the background:
Hama- Rikyu is a large, attractive landscape garden in central Tokyo. Located alongside Tokyo Bay, Hama Rikyu features seawater ponds which change level with the tides, and a teahouse on an island where visitors can rest and enjoy the scenery. The traditionally styled garden stands in stark contrast to the skyscrapers of the adjacent Shiodome district.
The garden has served many purposes over the centuries. It was originally built as a feudal lord’s Tokyo residence and duck hunting grounds during the Edo Period (1603-1867), but later served as a strolling garden and as an imperial detached palace before eventually being opened to the public in its current form. Vestiges of these old roles are still visible throughout the garden including several reconstructed duck hunting blinds, and the remains of an old moat and reconstructed rock wall.
Hama means “beach”, “seashore”; and rikyū means “detached palace”. Teien is a word for “garden” or “park”. Hama-Rikyu is attractive in any season. Although not as famous for its fall foliage as some of the other gardens around Tokyo, it offers plenty of maple, ginkgo and other trees that show their beautiful autumn colors between late November and early December.
Late February brings plum blossoms, while the spring cherry blossom season from late March to early April is also nice but somewhat subdued compared to other hanami spots in the city. Several other species of flowers bloom in spring including fields of peony and canola blossoms. Hanami (“flower viewing”) is the Japanese traditional custom of enjoying the transient beauty of flowers.
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… A portion of an old moat and rock wall in the Hama-rikyu Gardens …..
… the central office for the gardens through which we went by to enter the garden ….
…. The traditionally styled garden stands in stark contrast to the skyscrapers of the adjacent Shiodome district …..
…. Vestiges of the old roles of the garden are still visible throughout the garden including several reconstructed duck hunting blinds, and the remains of an old moat and reconstructed rock wall …..
…. a portion of the reconstructed rock wall …..
…. A common feature in Japanese parks are trees that supported by several poles tied to limbs or trunks of trees …..
…. The traditionally styled garden stands in stark contrast to the skyscrapers of the adjacent Shiodome district …..
…. a stone built drain to drain away any excess water from the garden ….
… A portion of an old moat and rock wall in the Hama-rikyu Gardens …..
…. Among Tokyo’s many claims to fame, cherry blossoms are at the top of the list. Every year, you can feel the excitement as pink petals known as sakura fill the city in a picture-perfect welcome to spring. Here’s what you need to know to plan your trip to see these fleeting beauties. See this website: Cherry Blossom Festival
… a gift and souvenir shop in the gardens …
…. Harriet my wife of 41 years in front of a beautiful cherry blossom tree …..
…. cherry blossom trees encircling the skyscrapers ….
…. Camellia flower closeup ….
…. cherry blossom flowers close up ……
…. A shelter shed in the gardens …
…. a pathway bridge across the old moat ….
… A portion of an old moat and rock wall in the Hama-rikyu Gardens …..
…. another pathway bridge across the old moat ….
….. Well grown trees form a 3 dimensional, enclosing aspect to the garden …..
….. The garden’s ponds are connected to the Tokyo bay so the water level of the ponds changed with the tide ……
…. thin suckering bamboo forms a wall on this side of the path …
…. Daffodils in flower at this time of the year …
…. a small wonderfully built cabin in the gardens ….. it provides a hand built structure amidst the vast informality of the garden …
…. Harriet & Ken in the garden ….
…… a field of wild flowers (cosmea and rape flowers) ……
The Written Sign Above Says: Floodgate ….
The flowing in and out of the sea water has been regulated by this weir. The weir is indispensable to the Shiori-no-ike Pond as it brings changes to the garden’s atmosphere through the adjustment of the water level of the pond to the ebb and flow of Tokyo Bay.
The sign above says: The pine is named ‘300 year pine’ because it was planted in 1709, about 300 years ago when the 6th shogun greatly repaired the garden. Its majestic form, praising the great work, is reminiscent of the old days. It is one of the largest black pines in Tokyo.
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