An Afternoon’s Walk Around Shakujii-koen

Summer fades but Shakujii-koen Remains filled with wonders

One of my favorite parks in Tokyo is the one at Shakujii-koen. It is a beautiful 19th century park with a long and winding lake, paddle boats, playgrounds, shrines and historical spots. A great place for a date with your wife and a beautiful place to unwind after a long days work.

I thought I would see what kind of pics I could get from my ASUS smartphone. At moments, amazing, at moments, KODAK from the 1970’s. But still I am amazed that my PHONE can take such pictures. Across the lake are restaurants, pubs and even a re-modeled 19th century Victorian.

I seem to have an on-going fascination with spiders and their webs.

Such a peaceful and tranquil place Shakujii Park can be. The first time I saw these ancient Redwoods I could not believe my eyes. Their beauty took me back to hikes my wife and I used to take in Mill Valley and the Redwood trails north of San Francisco.

Autumn is finally coming to Tokyo after a nice hot summer. When the Kinmokusei bloom and their wonderful fragrance fills the air you know Fall is here and the festivals will soon begin. I love walking through a grove of Kinmokusei and breathe deeply the delicious aroma of these flowering beauties.

Testing the depth of field capability of my phone I am pretty happy with this photo. As the sun sets and the moon begins to rise small boats have been placed at their moorings by the boast master.

These Swan paddle boats are a lot of fun to watch as people and their children paddle around the lake. They seem small for an American, especially a big American so I am not sure I can fit inside one.

After leaving the park we are headed back to the train station to continue into Central Tokyo only 1 express stop away. This Dori is a thriving commercial district lined with every imaginable shop and restaurant you can think of. It is around 6pm (18:00) so people are beginning to find their way home from work.

Behind the office lady and a little further down the street on the left is a great little Chinese restaurant that sells snacks and bento to people on their way home. For a few bucks you can have a nice meal almost ready to eat once you are home. Very recommended. I can’t think of the name of the place but you cannot miss their little table cart and the crowd of hungry folks surrounding it as the shop displays their delicious wares.

If you would like to visit Shakujii-koen you can find more information here. There is a lot to see there. Highly recommended for an afternoon trip going-to or coming-from, Tokyo.