Pink sakura tree Imperial garden Tokyo

Japan: Cherry blossoms at Tokyo Imperial Palace east garden

Date: 29th March 2015

Yesterday was a long but fruitful day of sightseeing that began at Denboin garden, a stroll by the banks of Sumida river before going to Odaiba to see a giant Gundam robot. Today was going to be just as packed a day. First off, more cherry blossom sightings.

I took the train Asakusa to Otemachi station. Took exit C13b and headed to the Tokyo Imperial Palace East garden. I could not do a tour of the Imperial Palace because that has to be booked in advance, so I just came to see the gardens.

Palace hotel Tokyo Japan
It was a gloomy day, which is never good for photographing anything colourful
Road closed for cycling Tokyo Japan
This was nice. They closed the road for traffic and only opened it for cyclists. Must a regular Sunday affair in these parts.
Sakura tree lake Imperial Palace Tokyo
The sakura trees were in bloom even outside the palace grounds
Tokyo Imperial palace gate Japan
There was no entry fee
Tokyo Imperial Palace stonewalls Japan
The Imperial Palace has these ancient stonewalls made of large blocks of solid stone
Inside Tokyo Imperial palace grounds
It was a bit of a walk to get the East Gardens
Tokyo Imperial gardens panorama Japan
There are other gardens in the castle complex, but the East Garden is the only one open to the public throughout the year
Grass Tokyo Imperial garden panorama
I really wished it was sunnier
Tokyo Imperial garden panorama Japan
It’s a vast area but not choc full of different varieties of plants and trees
Pink sakura tree Imperial garden Tokyo
Everyone was here to see the sakura trees anyway
Pink sakura flower tree Imperial Garden
The cherry blossom flowers seem to mostly be in shades of pink…
White sakura tree Imperial garden Tokyo
Or white
White sakura tree Tokyo Imperial garden-tokyo
Took this shot on my Sony Xperia Z1 phone
White sakura cloudy sky Tokyo
Sadly today, even the skies were white. See if you can spot the sun.
Stone observation point Imperial garden
I walked up that observation point
Tokyo view imperial palace east garden
Beyond these ancient walls lies modern Tokyo
Tokyo Imperial east garden lawn Japan
I didn’t linger for long. I had to get to Shinjuku Gyoen after this, which is one of the best venues for sakura sightseeing
Sakura tree petals fallen down
Petals were falling down, so I wonder how long a full bloom lasts
White sakura tree Imperial Garden Japan
There were more cherry blossom trees on the way out
The entire Imperial Palace complex is like an island surrounded by a stream of water
The entire Imperial Palace complex is like an island surrounded by a stream of water
Tokyo roads from pedestrian walkway
I walked around Otemachi
Otemachi buildings Tokyo Japan
Otemachi is a major office district and where many of Japan’s top newspaper publishers are based
Pink cherry blossom tree Tokyo streets
I headed back to Otemachi station

From Otemachi station, it’s easy to get to Shinjuku Gyoen without transferring between stations. Shinjukugyoen-Mae station is the closest to the garden (fare was ¥200) and it’s on the Marunouchi Line. All the beautiful sakura sightings at Shinjuku Gyoen will be in a separate post — and trust me — it’s a really good one!


Next posts in this series:

Japan 2015: Cherry blossom sightings at Shinjuku Gyoen

Japan 2015: Harajuku on a Sunday – Meiji shrine and Yoyogi Park

Japan 2015: Harajuku at night — Takeshita Street

Japan 2015  Visiting Akihabara a second time, because why not?

Japan 2015: Cherry blossoms in full bloom at Ueno Park

Japan 2015: Rikugien garden’s weeping cherry blossom tree

Japan 2015: Getting to Hakone; Lake Ashi sightseeing cruise

Japan 2015: Hakone ropeway; onsen at Hotel Green Plaza

Japan 2015: Ōwakudani sulphur springs, views of Mt. Fuji — and last night in Tokyo

Japan 2015: Getting to Narita Airport — and flying an Airbus A380 for the first time

Previous posts in this series:

Japan 2015: Boat ride to Odaiba; giant Gundam statue at DiverCity Mall

Japan 2015: Cherry blossom celebrations by Sumida River

Japan 2015: Denboin garden, near Sensoji Temple

Japan 2015: Shopping in Shinjuku, and exploring Kabukicho

Japan 2015: Nishi-Shinjuku — views from Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building sky deck

Japan 2015: Shibuya – the busiest crossing in the world, and home to a loyal dog

Japan 2015: Ueno Zoo – pandas, a lonely polar bear, and more

Japan 2015: Nakamise street, Senso-ji temple, and Ueno Park sakura at half-bloom

Japan 2015: Nadagiku Shuzo Sake Brewery, leaving Himeji for Tokyo — and my last bullet train ride

Japan 2015: Himeji Castle, and the unexpected air show

Japan 2015: Kyoto Station, and arriving at Himeji by shinkansen

Japan 2015: Kyoto – Monkey Park in Arashiyama

Japan 2015: Kyoto – Bamboo Forest in Arashiyama

Japan 2015: Kyoto – Gion Corner Cultural Show

Japan 2015: Kyoto – Kinkaku-ji and Kiyomizu Dera temple

Japan 2015: Kyoto – Fushimi Inari-taisha, and climbing to the mountain top

Japan 2015: Kyoto – Nishiki market and Teramachi

Japan 2015: Kyoto – Nishi & Higashi Honganji, Shijo street, and Gion

Japan 2015: Riding a bullet train for the first time, Tokyo to Kyoto

Japan 2015: Walking around Akihabara and Ginza

Japan 2015: Going to Akihabara, and spending way too much time in Yodobashi Akiba

Japan 2015: Landing in Tokyo… and using a communal bath for the first time

Related Posts with Thumbnails