Japan Hamarikyu Gardens

Hamarikyu Gardens is one of my favorite places in Tokyo. It us located next to the fish market on Tokyo Bay’s shoreline.

Hama Rikyu is the garden of a feudal lord's residence during the Edo Period.Today, it is one of Tokyo's most attractive landscape gardens. It is located alongside Tokyo Bay, next to the futuristic Shiodome district.

Seawater ponds, which change water level with the tides, former duck hunting grounds, forested areas and a teahouse are some of the park's attractions. Furthermore, the contrast between the traditional gardens with Shiodome's skyscrapers in the background is spectacular.

What I like the most of Hamarikyu is how nicely pruned is every single tree and how much does the park change depending on the season. There are some flower fields with many species that blossom in different seasons painting the landscape with beautiful colors that vary depending when you visit the gardens. I also like the water channels and lakes, all the water in the park is connected to the Tokyo Bay an the water level varies with tides.

The park opens from 9 AM until 5 PM, and it costs 300 yen. There is a 10 minutes walk from Tsukij-shijo station (Oedo line), here there is the detailed map. I usually go from Ginza station, it takes around 20 minutes. The best plan is to eat Sushi near the fish market, walk and relax en Hamarikyu and then take a ferry (The last one departs around 16h) from a pier that is inside the park. The most interesting ferry rides will transport you to Odaiba or Asakusa where you can finish the day watching some temples (Asakusa) or enjoying some Tokyo skyline views (Odaiba).