The Tokyo Traveler

Plan to visit the Aoyama Cemetery on your next trip to Tokyo.  Believe it, or not, Tokyoites use this cemetery as a place to enjoy the cherry blossoms each spring and as a jogging or walking are year round.  Aoyama Cemetery offers a beautiful park-like setting in the heart of Tokyo.
“Aoyama Cemetery, perhaps best described as an urban oasis, has been in existence for over 130 years. As one of the four city-owned cemeteries, it is the eternal resting place of over 120,000 graves, including many politicians, writers, Hachiko the famous loyal dog, and nearly 200 foreigners since the Meiji …read more

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Wander through a bird sanctuary, have a picnic, ride a Ferris Wheel, ponder Tokyo bay and visit Tokyo Sea Life Park in just one day!  It’s all possible when you visit Kasai Rinkai Koen, a large park located just over the Edogawa river from the heart of Tokyo.  Take a break from the hectic pace of the city and enjoy a day at this great park!
Kasai Rinkai Park first opened to the public in 1989 and is the largest park in Tokyo’s 23 wards. Lovely grassy areas, a barbeque and picnic area and great views of Tokyo Bay from the …read more

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Mid June marks the peak blooming season for irises, or shobu, in Tokyo.  This is one of my favorite flowers and I always take some time to fit in a visit to an iris garden this time of year.  Here are just of few of the Gardens in Tokyo where you can see these beautiful blooms:

Meiji Jingu Shrine – The garden is open daily from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. ( 6 p.m. on Sat. & Sun.). Admission:¥500.  Closest Station: Harajuku (Yamanote Line) or Tokyo Metro Meiji-Jingumae Sta.
Horikiri Shobuen Garden -  The garden is open daily from 8 a.m. …read more

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The Kagurazaka district is located in the center of Tokyo, in the middle of JR Yamanote Line. The area is famous for its lively main street, Kagurazaka-Dori (Dori means “street.”) and it’s winding cobblestone alleyways. The name Kagurazaka is a combination of kagura (a shrine-dance to music) and saka (hill) and evokes the sites and topography of this beautiful part of Tokyo. The layout of the area is much the same as it was when the town was built in the 17th century despite the fact that most of the area was burned down as the …read more

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The Imperial Palace East Garden, or Higashi-gyoen, is rightly considered one of Tokyo’s finest gardens.
The Imperial Palace East Garden is located on the former site of Edo Castle. None of the original buildings remain but the moats, walls, entrance gates and several guardhouses that protected the former castle still stand within the confines of the garden. The castle, once the largest in Japan standing 58 meters (190 feet) high, was destroyed by fire in 1657 but the base remains and can be used as a vantage point to oversee portions of this vast garden.
The Tide …read more

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