Hama-Rikyu Gardens – Where the Past and Present Collide

Corey and I recently went on an amazing trip to Japan. In my next few posts, I will be writing about our travels and the many wonderful experiences we had there, including all the tasty food we ate (I’ll be sharing recipes too). I hope you enjoy reading about our adventures and that these posts provide insight into the wonders of Japan.

Hama-Rikyu gardens provide a glimpse into the past through its Edo-style landscaping and architecture. It’s located near Tsukiji Market in the Chūō ward, a heavily trafficked commercial and shopping district in central Tokyo, and it fronts on Tokyo Bay.

The present is inescapable here. Skyscrapers become the backdrop for serene lakes and canals, carefully shaped trees, fields of flowers, and reconstructed teahouses. I found that this clash of time and space added to the beauty of the gardens.

Nakajima-no-Ochaya Tea House

A pebble path that runs the perimeter of the garden takes you past a large manmade saltwater lake that’s home to a variety of fish, crabs, eels, and jellyfish. This path eventually leads to a cypress bridge that crosses the lake to a beautiful tea house. There, you can order matcha tea—the powdered green tea traditionally used in Japanese tea ceremonies. For an additional ¥500, you can enter the tea house, sit on the tatami mats, and eat wagashi, a traditional Japanese dessert, while sipping tea.

View From a Former Duck Blind

In addition to the manmade lake and Nakajima teahouse, there are two former duck hunting grounds located within the gardens. Members of the Tokugawa Shogunate and their family constructed these areas to attract wild ducks. While hunting is no longer permitted in the park (in fact, they now have a memorial honoring the fallen ducks), the blinds are left up so that visitors can imagine what the experience might have been like.

300-Year-Old Pine Tree

At the entrance of Hama-Rikyu gardens stands a 300-year-old pine tree, which sprawls so huge that its limbs must be propped up. Standing before this majestic tree makes you contemplate the wonders of nature; how it can endure mostly unaltered in the face of monumental changes in human society. You can stand there appreciating the beauty of the tree, just as someone did 100-200 years before you.

Field of Yellow and Red Cosmos

Hama-Rikyu gardens are excellent for viewing flowers. No matter the season, you’ll find flowers in bloom. But the best place to look is in the peony and flower fields, which border the Kyu-Inabu shrine. There, you’ll see densely packed red, yellow, and multicolored cosmos, as well as an arbor covered in Chinese trumpet vines. The arbor is a great place to sit and rest and take in the beauty of the place.

Arbor Covered with Chinese Trumpet Vines

Close-Up of Chinese Trumpet Vine

Field of Multi-Colored Cosmos

Blossoming Crape Myrtle Trees

The flower fields aren’t the only place to see beautiful blossoms! Walking around the gardens, you’ll also see blossoming trees interspersed among the pines and evergreens. Above is a particularly nice example.

Information about Visiting Hama-Rikyu Gardens

Hours: Open daily, 9 AM to 5 PM (last entry 4:30 PM)

Free Guided Tours Available:

Japanese Guided Tours: Saturday, Sunday, and Public Holidays at 11 AM and 2 PM English Guided Tours: Mondays at 10:30 AM and Saturdays at 11 AM

Admission Fee: ¥300 for general admission, ¥150 for those 65 and over, free for elementary school children, junior high school students living in Tokyo, and the disabled

Tea House Fee (additional): ¥500 for a bowl of matcha tea and a Japanese sweet

Address: 1-1, Hama Rikyu-teien, Chuo-ku, Tokyo 104-0046

Website: http://teien.tokyo-park.or.jp/en/hama-rikyu/

Phone: 03-3541-0200

Manmade Saltwater Lake

Need a break from the hustle and bustle of Tokyo? Visit Hama-Rikyu Gardens and stroll through its calm and stately grounds that evoke the past.

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