Autumn, my favorite season, is almost over, but I wish to stay in the mood for momijigari-enjoying the autumn leaves in Japan, and this time I’m going to introduce a few places in Tokyo.
In Tokyo, you can also find some amazing places for momijigari, and especially gardens. One of them is Rikugien garden, that is wonderfully illuminated during spring and autumn. This garden was built in the Edo period and it is one of the finest in Tokyo. Its name could translate as “The Garden of the six poems”. It is quite spacious, so you need a few hours to see everything. There is also a tea house open to the public, where you can enjoy authentic matcha tea for 510 yen. The access to the garden is also chargeable.
Another famous garden is Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden. It is truly an oasis of serenity amidst the bustling city. It is located close to Shinjuku station, most complicated train station in Tokyo. Close to my dorm as well, I could go there as often as I wished and enjoy a stroll in nature, admiring the great variety of plants. Besides the maple trees whose leaves already reached a bright red color I was surprised to see cherry blossoms in full bloom, considering it was almost winter. But I found out it was a special kind of cherry blossom that blooms in both spring and autumn known as shikizakura 四季桜 (four seasons cherry blossom) or fuyuzakura 冬桜 (winter cherry blossom).
Shinjuku Gyoen is also very beautifully illustrated in the animation movie Kotonoha no Niwa 言の葉の庭 by director Makoto Shinkai, who also created Kimi no na wa 君の名は。, a very popular film nowadays. I recommend them both, if you haven’t watched them already.
Of course, there are many other beautiful gardens in Tokyo but I decided to write about these two that I had the chance to visit and impressed me.
