Hamarikyu Gardens

The Hamarikyu Gardens are a large landscaped garden in central Tokyo. Originally it was built and owned by shogun (at one point even housing an elephant) and then the Imperial family. Unfortunately it was quite badly damaged by bombing during WW2, after which it was donated to the government, before finally opening to the public in 1946. I was reminded of the Rikugien Gardens, which has a similar design and history, but if I were to rank them I would say that Hamarikyu is more impressive. One of the special characteristics of the Hamarikyu, other than its contrast with the towering office buildings behind, is the Shiori-no-ike pond. The garden backs onto the Sumida River (a waterway that connects to Tokyo Bay) and so this pond is filled with seawater. The water volume apparently shifts with the tide. Its other feature is this wooden bridge that crosses the lake, plus a tea house in the middle where you can enjoy some matcha. I only had under an hour to stroll around until the park’s…