Tokyo for
Parks And Gardens
Although it’s one of the most dense urban areas in the world, Tokyo has a surprising number of green spaces. Japan has a long history of landscape design, and its Zen rock gardens and perfectly manicured strolling gardens have had a profound influence on global trends in garden design.
t A couple sit in the shade of a blossoming cherry tree in Tokyo’s Yoyogi Park
Open Spaces
Though Japanese gardens tend to be perfectly manicured works of art, sometimes what you need is just a nice spot for a picnic, or a pretty route for a jog. Luckily, the city also has plenty of parks, chief among them Yoyogi, a glorious mix of open areas of grass and shady stands of trees, punctuated with ponds and bridges. Beyond the city, Hananomiyako Park is a photographer’s paradise, with vast fields of seasonal flowers sweeping towards a splendid, unbroken view of Mount Fuji.
Strolling Gardens
During the Edo period, Tokyo’s elite created impressive gardens which you could admire from every angle, sometimes recreating smaller versions of famous landscapes, or even scenes from literature. There are still a few around today, with Rikugi-en being the most famous in Tokyo. Sankeien (www.sankeien.or.jp) is Yokohama’s best strolling garden, its small streams and winding paths creating a calm space for contemplation.
Temple Grounds
Though several temples in Tokyo have beautiful gardens, the very best are found outside the city in Nikko or Kamakura, the latter of which ranks among the best places in Japan for Zen gardens. In place of plants, flowers, and water features, these temples create contemplative areas out of rocks and moss.
Modern Outdoors
Parks and gardens are still an obsession in Tokyo, and inhabitants of this ever more crowded city continue to find ways to bring nature into their daily lives. One great example is in the luxurious Ginza Six building, where you’ll find a sleek rooftop garden with views of the Ginza district. Inside, the garden is continued with two “living walls” – one covered in real plants, the other showing a digital waterfall.
IKEBANA
The practice of using flowers as temple offerings originated in the 7th century, but formalized flower arranging, or ikebana, didn’t take hold until the late 15th century. Nowadays, it is seen as an art form that combines many key elements of Japanese culture: a celebration of nature and the seasons, the use of symbolism, minimalist design, and the practice of meditation.