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April 2016

Japan: Cherry blossom sightings at Shinjuku Gyoen

By Mithun Divakaran
/
Apr 27, 2016
/
Japan, Travel

Date: 29th March 2015

After a quick visit to the Tokyo Imperial Palace east garden, I was now going to visit Shinjuku Gyoen (gyoen = garden), which is one of the best venues in Tokyo to view cherry blossoms. I took the train to Shinjuku-gyoemmae station, took exit 2 and made my way to the Okido entrance — of many entrances to the garden.

Shinjuku Gyoen neighbourhood Tokyo Japan — The neighbourhood I was in was quite nice

Shinjuku Gyoen entrance Tokyo Japan — There was an entry fee of ¥200 (₹119/$1.8/€1.5)

Shinjuku gyoen glasshouse Tokyo Japan — There’s a glasshouse here. I would check it out later.

Shinjuku Gyoen hanami season Tokyo Japan — Shinjuku Gyoen is the largest public garden in Tokyo city

Large pink sakura tree Tokyo Japan — The reason why Shinjuku Gyoen is very popular for cherry blossoms is quite evident early on

Pink sakura tree Shinjuku Gyoen Tokyo — The selfie sticks were out in full force today

Shinjuku Gyoen in hanami Tokyo Japan — It was beautiful just walking around here

Child picking cherry blossom petals Japan — Kids all over the place were seen picking up petals

Pink sakura flower Hanami season Tokyo — Shades of pink were a more common sight

Picnic at Shinjuku Gyoen panorama — A panorama of the large ground here where many had set up picnic mats and were enjoying drinks and snacks

Large sakura tree Shinjuku Gyoen — It’s a beautiful setting to have a picnic anyway

Varieties of sakura cherry blossoms — Apparently there were more varieties of cherry blossoms besides my knowledge of “pink sakura” and “white sakura”

Glasshouse Shinjuku Gyoen Tokyo Japan — I decided to quickly check out the glasshouse

Inside glasshouse Shinjuku Gyoen Tokyo — There is no separate entry fee for the glasshouse

Flowers glasshouse Tokyo Japan — The glasshouse was filled with a few exotic flowers

Echinocactus Shinjuku Gyoen glasshouse — And some plants which otherwise would not grow in Japan’s climate

Glasshouse interiors Shinjuku Japan — The glasshouse isn’t very big

Walkway glasshouse Shinjuku Tokyo — So I made my way back out

Greenhouses Shinjuku Gyoen Tokyo — There were more greenhouses outside but off-limits to visitors

Portable toilets Shinjuku Gyoen Tokyo — Colour-coordinated portable toilets. Or ‘sexist’ toilets according to some.

Sakura trees Shinjuku Gyoen Tokyo — Back to all the beautiful sakura all around

Picnic around sakura tree Shinjuku Gyoen — This sakura tree was very popular for photos, because it was quite low

Mithun white sakura tree Tokyo — I only had a brief few seconds to get a photo taken without anybody else in the frame

Sakura tree Shinjuku Gyoen crowds — You’d think I would have taken enough photos of the sakura by now

Kid bridge sakura tree Japan — But wherever I walked, there was some frame or sight that just had to be captured on camera

Photographers Shinjuku Gyoen hanami season — Amateur and professional photographers were out in full force

Man painting shinjuku Gyoen Tokyo — It’s not just photographers who were making the most of the beauty all around

Shinjuku garden lake Tokyo Japan — I could just sit here all day and take in the views… if only it wasn’t cold and all grey

Sakura flower trees Hanami Shinjuku — A little sunlight would have made the colours pop a bit more

Large cherry blossom tree Shinjuku garden — I walked around a bit more

Cherry blossoms in hanami season Japan — I imagined what it would be like, to be a bird or a butterfly, and see the cherry blossoms in a different light

Small bird cherry blossom tree Japan — Enjoy sights of spring little birdie!

Cherry blossom tree Shinjuku garden Tokyo — Many of these trees are decades old

Big sakura Shinjuku garden during Hanami — You don’t get much time, the full sakura bloom only lasts about a week or two

Kimono girl posing sakura Japan — So everybody makes the most of it and get their special photos taken

Mirror lake reflection Shinjuku garden — It was time to head back out to the concrete jungle

Dead trees Shinjuku Gyoen Tokyo — What are these trees?

Line of trees Shinjuku garden Tokyo — There was an entire row of them

Lawn Shinjuku garden Tokyo Japan — I headed back

Shinjuku Gyoen Tokyo garden lake — Even on the way out I couldn’t help but take some more photos

Pink sakura reflection Shinjuku Gyoen bridge — Seriously — sakura sighting in Japan is like no other

Shinjuku Gyoen is undoubtedly one of the best places to come and soak in a rich cheer blossom sighting. I’m glad I got to experience it at full bloom, even if the sun was shy today. Paying 200 yen is well worth the price of admission. Ueno Park, where I returned to the next day, is also amazing so look forward to that post.

Okido gate Shinjuku Gyoen Tokyo — I went out the same gate

Shinjuku Gyoemmae road Tokyo — Fairly residential area

Comodo kitchen Shinjuku street Tokyo — It was well past lunchtime and I wondered where to eat

Curry naan restaurant Tokyo — There was this corner store called Curry-Naan. I didn’t plan on having Indian food but the thought of having hot, familiar taste in this cold weather tempted me to go inside.

Inside curry naan restaurant Shinjuku — The place was really small. Three tables and the rest were counter seats, where I sat down. One of the tables was occupied by a group of Malayalis. What are the odds!

Curry naan plate Shinjuku eatery — A single naan with a little chicken kheema curry and lassi for dessert cost ¥730 (₹435/$6.5/€5.8)

All said and done, my tummy felt satisfied and I waited for the drizzle to subside before I walked to the subway station. Next stop: Harajuku. Part two of four posts on this one day is complete!

Next post(s) in this series:

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: Cherry blossoms at Tokyo Imperial Palace east garden

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

Japan: Cherry blossoms at Tokyo Imperial Palace east garden

By Mithun Divakaran
/
Apr 16, 2016
/
Japan, Travel

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 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

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

Gundam RG 1/1 RX 78-2 version life-size model

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

By Mithun Divakaran
/
Apr 07, 2016
/
Japan, Travel

Date: 28th March 2015

After enjoying the relaxing walk along Sumida river and capturing the cherry blossom trees in bloom, I was now going to get on a boat to Odaiba — a major shopping and entertainment district in Tokyo Bay.

Sumida river boat ticket number card — I paid ¥1310 (₹750/$11.5/€10) for my one way journey to Odaiba

Inside Sumida tour boat Tokyo — I sat inside for a while

Asahi golden building Tokyo Japan — That golden building belonging to Asahi breweries is meant to resemble a beer mug

Asahi building Sumida river Tokyo — Asahi Beer Hall with the “golden turd” on top

Sumida river boat tour Tokyo — It didn’t take me long to go up to the top of the boat

Tourists boat tour Sumida river Tokyo — Seemed like the majority of the passengers chose not to sit down below

Office building Sumida river Tokyo — Passed many interesting looking buildings along the way

Continue reading “Japan: Boat ride to Odaiba; giant Gundam statue at DiverCity Mall” »