Hamarikyu Gardens [Tokyo]

【Hamarikyu Gardens Summary】

Hamarikyu Gardens was originally a falconry ground for the Tokugawa shogunate during the Edo period. Tokugawa Tsunashige is said to have built a villa here. Subsequently, it served as the Hamagoten villa for successive Tokugawa shoguns, undergoing repeated renovations. During the reign of the 11th shogun, Ienari, a tea house was constructed, completing the garden in its present form. After the Meiji Restoration, it became an imperial villa and was renamed “Hamarikyu.” Following damage from the Great Kanto Earthquake and wartime bombings, it was granted to the Tokyo Metropolitan Government in 1945 and opened to the public the following year.

The current site area is approximately 250,000 square meters, roughly half the size of Tokyo Disneyland.

【Hamarikyu Gardens Tea House】

Around the Tide-Flooded Pond are the Pine Tea House, the Swallow Tea House, the Hawk Tea House, and the Nakajima Tea House.

You cannot enter the tatami room, but you can peek inside.

【Hamarikyu Gardens Tidal Pond and Nakajima Tea House】

At Nakajima’s Tea House, you can enjoy matcha while taking in the scenery from the tatami room. English is available.

Tide-in Pond, as its name suggests, is a saltwater pond connected to the sea. Its water flow is regulated by opening and closing floodgates in accordance with Tokyo Bay’s tides. Fish such as mullet, sea bass, goby, and eel enter from Tokyo Bay and appear to thrive here. Currently, this is the only Edo-period garden within Tokyo where seawater is actually drawn in.

【Hamarikyu Gardens Duck Pond】

Within the garden grounds lies a facility for capturing ducks for falconry. While commonly found in daimyo gardens during the Edo period, it still retains traces of that era today.

【Hamarikyu Gardens Fujimi Mountain】

Climbing the stone steps leads directly to the summit, where you can survey the entire Hamarikyu Gardens—from the tidal pond to the west to the expansive lawns to the east.

Until the Edo and Meiji periods, as the name suggests, Mount Fuji could be seen from here.

【Hamarikyu Gardens Former Inabu Shrine】

Details regarding the founding of the former Inabu Shrine remain unclear, but an Inari shrine has long existed within Hama-rikyu Gardens, which served as a villa for the Tokugawa shogunate. It is a modest wooden shrine building with a tiled roof. It has collapsed due to earthquakes and other causes, undergoing reconstruction and repairs several times; a major repair appears to have been carried out in 2005.

 It is currently fenced off and, unfortunately, no longer functions as a shrine.

【Hamarikyu Gardens Nearby attractions(within a 30-minute walk)】

Karasumori Shrine, Shiba Daijingu, Namari Shrine, Tsukiji Outer Market, Tsukiji Honganji Temple

Karasumori Shrine [Tokyo]

Shiba Daijingu [Tokyo]

【Hamarikyu Gardens Access】

Manager’s Comments

The garden features several highlights, including Edo’s only surviving seawater pond and a tea house that appears to float on the water. The contrast with the surrounding skyscrapers was also spectacular. I think spring or autumn is the best time to visit. The summer heat keeps crowds down, which is a plus.

Site/Facility Size

 (5)

Richness of Nature

 (4)

Ease of access

 (4)

Number of tourists

 (3)

Hamarikyu Gardens

1-1 Hamarikyu Gardens, Chuo-ku, Tokyo 104-0046

※There is no parking available.

For Otemon Gate

7-minute walk from Toei Subway Oedo Line “Tsukiji Market” (E18) or ‘Shiodome’ (E19) stations, or Yurikamome “Shiodome” station

12-minute walk from JR, Tokyo Metro Ginza Line, or Toei Subway Asakusa Line “Shinbashi” (G08/A10) station

参考

浜離宮恩賜庭園｜公園へ行こう！

関連投稿(Related Posts):

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