The Tokyo Traveler

Sitting on land that was once home to the mansions of feudal lords (daimyo) in the Edo Era and used as a military training ground in the following era you will find Hibiya Park. The garden was first opened in June, 1903 and was the first western style urban garden in Tokyo.

Ponder the central grass square and it’s surrounding blooms from the patio of the park office, a German-style bungalow built in 1910 and one of the few remaining examples of western-style architecture from the Meiji Era in Tokyo, where you will find a restaurant and snack shop.  Then take …read more

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When you want to escape the city you can always head for Chiba and the Mihama-en garden. This beautiful park is an oasis in the midst of various hotels about a 10 minute walk from the Kaihin-Makuhari train station on the Keiyo Line.

The name of the park means “to view from the beach” and is a testament to it’s location near the Pacific Ocean. It is a landscape garden in the Japanese walk-around style with a central pond and a tea house named Shouraitei which translates to “the pine trees whisper”. The beauty of this type of …read more

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