Stroll in the attractive landscape Hamarikyu garden in central Tokyo
Surrounded by a seawater moat drawn in from Tokyo Bay, Hamarikyu Garden is a lesser-known oasis in the heart of downtown Tokyo, Japan that stands in stark contrast to the skyscrapers of the adjacent neighborhoods. Serving as a feudal, imperial retreat and duck hunting grounds during the Edo Period, this traditionally styled garden was opened to the public in 1946 and now becomes a natural, green space in the middle of the metropolis. Its most remarkable feature is the seawater pond named Shioiri with a tea house set on a tiny island, where visitors can take a rest, witness a short tea ceremony and try a taste of matcha, a quintessential Japanese experience. Throughout spring, a number of plum and cherry trees makes the park a nice hanami spot without the crowds unlike some of Tokyo's other gardens. In the autumn, you can see Hamarikyu painted in dazzling reds and yellows of the maple and ginkgo trees. There are also beautiful fields of peony and canola in the garden.
