2016年6月30日木曜日

Arakawa Nature Park (South Area)

Arakawa Nature Park is located on a sewage treatment facility.
There's a long slope to get to the park.
This park has two areas (South and North) on the concrete base.

Even though it's on artificial ground, it has swan pond, woods, flower fields and athletic course in the south area.

In the North area, there're baseball field, tennis coats and swimming pool.
Also, unique facility is traffic park where kids can learn traffic rules playing with tricycles, bicycles, unicycles and go-karts.

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<The Nearest Station>

Arakawa Nichome station on Arakawa Line (Street car)

<Admission>

Free of Charge

Apr.-Oct. 6:00-19:00
Nov.-Mar. 7:00-17:00

Closed on the 1st and 3rd Thursdays and Dec,29-Jan.3

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2016年6月29日水曜日

Gokurakuji Temple

Gokuraku means paradise.
So this temple is paradise temple.

This temple is famous for Ibotori Jizo, which is a Jizo statue to take away warts.
You put salt on the statue and put that salt to the wart that you want to take off, it'll fix your problem.

This temple looks like a temple in the country even though it's located in Tokyo.

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<The Nearest Station>

Horikiri Shobuen station on Keisei Line (from Ueno)

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2016年6月28日火曜日

Horikiri Shobuen Garden

Horikiri Shobuen Garden is famous for iris flowers.
Actually this garden is specialized for iris.

Horikiri is the name of the area and Shobu means iris.
"en" after Shobu means garden.

This place has been popular from Edo era.
It's drawn in Ukiyo-e.

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<The Nearest Station>

Horikiri Shobuen station on Keisei Line (from Ueno)

<Admission>

Free of Charge

9:00-17:00  (8:00-18:00 from June 1-25)
Closed on Dec.29-Jan.3

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2016年6月27日月曜日

Iidabashi Station on Oedo Line

Stations on Oedo Line (Toei Subway) have very unique decorations and Iidabashi station is the most impressive one.

There's a tunnel at the end of the platform when you get off the train.

And green pipes are under the ceiling.
Fluorescent lamps are set in the pipes.

Outside of the entrance building looks great.
It's hard to find subway station if you've never seen this station.

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<The Nearest Station>

Iidabashi station on Oedo Line (E06/Toei Subway)

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2016年6月26日日曜日

Hanazono Shrine

Hanazono Shrine is located in the center of Shinjuku.
Vermilion lacquered Torii gates and buildings are impressive.

You can see more young people and foreigners in this shrine.
It may be because of the location.

This shrine was open before Ieyasu Tokugawa opened Edo government in 1590.
Original location was a few blocks away from the current place.

Since original place was surrounded by Feudal Loads' villas, shrine asked the government to provide alternate site. Government gave current site which used to be flower gardens of one of Feudal Load's villa.

Hanazono means flower garden.
However, there's no flower garden in the shrine now.

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<The Nearest Station>

Shinjuku Sanchome on Marunouchi Line / Fukutoshin Line
(M09/F13/Tokyo Metro) and Shinjuku Line (S02/Toei Subway)

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2016年6月25日土曜日

Taisoji Temple

The origin of this temple is a house of Priest Taiso at the end of 16th century.
This temple was open in 1668 when Feudal Load Naito family donated this place for the temple.

There's one of Edo 6 Jizo which were at the entrance of Edo on 6 main roads.
Also, Shiokake Jizo or Jizo with salt is unique.

This temple has a statue of Emma who's the king of the hell and a statue of Datsueba and both statues are open to public on a few days in the year.

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<The Nearest Station>

Shinjuku Gyoemmae station on Marunouchi Line (M10/Tokyo Metro)

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2016年6月24日金曜日

Shimizudani Park

Shimizudni Park is located on the other side of the road from Hotel New Otani.
There's a monument for Toshimichi Okubo, statesman at Meiji Restoration since he was assassinated near here.

There's a pond of spring water and the park was built around the monument.
"Shimizu" means spring water and "dani" means valley.

Also, there's a ruin of water pipe made of stone in Edo era.
Surprisingly, Tokyo had water supply system 400 years ago.

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<The Nearest Station>

Akasaka Mitsuke station on Marunouchi Line / Ginza Line
(M13/G05/Tokyo Metro)

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2016年6月23日木曜日

Hotel New Otani Japanese Garden

Hotel New Otani in Akasaka Mitsuke has a nice Japanese garden.
This place used to be a villa of feudal load Kiyomasa Kato wno's famous for his tiger hunting in Korea.
Ii family took over this place in Edo era and transferred to Prince Fushimi at the end of Edo era.

After World War II, Yonetani Otani, the founder of Hotel New Otani bought this place and re-developed this Garden.

Hotel was open in 1964 for Tokyo Olympic Games.

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<The Nearest Station>

Akasaka Mitsuke station on Marunouchi Line / Ginza Line
(M13/G05/Tokyo Metro)

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