Rikugien

I’ll be very honest. I’m not a huge landscape kind of guy. We’re here in Japan for our honeymoon. We were brought here luckily by our host while we stayed here. My wife was excited since it was one of the top things to do in Tokyo.
The entrance fee is 3 Yen a person. I guess that’s not a lot? Translates roughly to 2.80 cents give or take. It’s a giant land area where you can wall around and take pictures. There are 88 sites to see while you’re here so keep your eyes posted. The Carp/​Koi fish were HUGE! Pretty little bridges and trees with bamboo huggers. It was pretty but boring for my taste. Would I personally come back here if given the chance. Probably not. But it was worth to see the scenery.

* «Friendly local» garden *
Rikugi-​en is an oasis in the middle of a busy city. I love spots like this — where you can sneak away from the crowds and just relax while quietly strolling and sitting. Amazingly somehow the noise of the city just disappears.
I was a bit too early for the cherry blossoms. But perhaps that was a good thing, as I was also way too early for the cherry blossom viewing crowds. :)
There were a few visitors, but mostly people who looked like they were from just around the neighbourhood as many knew each other.
After going to the top of Fujishiro, a kind elderly man (I would guess in his late 80’s) arrived at the top of the hill to admire the view. He started chatting and pointed out his apartment in the view nearby. He comes every day to the garden and knew a lot about the history. He told the stories of what it was like during World War II, of how the garden changes in each season, and even picked up some particular leaves to crumble them in his hand and encouraged me to smell.
Such a friendly man — who came out of nowhere. After telling his stories he said farewell and disappeared back down the hill as quickly as he appeared — perhaps to come back the next day for the next visitor.
What a lovely visit and encounter with a «friendly local.» :)
Photos:

Le second gros spots pour voir les cerisiers, enfin un gros cerisier, le genre d’arbre qui doit être centenaire! Il est gigantesque et majestueux!
Dans le parc, il y a y a une maison de thé où pour 650¥, on peut boire un thé avec une pâtisserie.
Les bords de l’étang et le parc en général sont juste magnifiques, mais payant (300¥). C’est l’un des plus beaux parcs de la ville et surtout aimé des Tokyoites!

Ouch. we went there for foliage. and this was a bad decision. Really., there hardly was foliage there even if it was supposed to be ‘見ごろ’. or right time to see. when we went. Very disappointed. I could see much better foliage in my neighborhood. They were also doing the ‘light-​up’ (tree illumination) but it just looked artificial to me.
Also, it was on a long weekend, and there were a way too many people.
I might give it another try for the cherry blossoms, but never again for foliage.

My photos honestly does not do this park justice. Here you will find tranquility and peace in the middle of Tokyo. Once inside, it’s hard to believe you still in the city.
Rikugien Garden is considered one of the most beautiful Japanese gardens in Tokyo. The garden consists of a pond, a hill, trees and 2 tea houses; so simple yet exquisitely sculptured, tweaked and lit up.
I went with my aunt and uncle one night at the end of November, enjoying some matcha and chagashi (sweets to go with the green tea) in the tea house as we took in the autumn leaves from afar.
Make sure you bring your cameras and lenses when you go to capture a part of Rikugien Garden home.