Three hours talking in a garden? No problem for me! On my last tour in Rikugien we took it slowly, walked around in peace while almost no one else was there on this gray and wet October morning. We took our time for breaks when we found especially beautiful scenery. When we finished the tour and I looked at my […]
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With twelve years of professional landscaping experience under her belt, Anika Ogusu is your perfect guide to the world of Japanese gardens. Her love of nature began early, in the woods near her childhood home and the garden of her grandmother’s house. During her teenage years she developed a strong interest in Japanese culture, and after university she decided to […]
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What comes to mind when you think of Japan? Is it the skyscrapers and blinking lights of central Tokyo? Or is it the simple beauty of a moss-covered stone lantern beside a red maple tree? What amazes visitors to Japan is that these two very different views can exist side-by-side. Tokyo is a paradise for Japanese garden fans, but to […]
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If you are planning to travel outside of Tokyo and would like to take a tour through gardens in other areas of Japan, we can make it happen. Our guide can travel to meet you at a garden of your choice in Japan, so long as it is reachable within one day (Kyoto, Hamamatsu, or Hakone, for example) from Tokyo. […]
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What are power spots, you may ask? We all know of England’s Stonehenge, the great Egyptian pyramids, Machu Picchu in Peru… These mystical places have spoken to the human soul for generations. While these are amazing structures, they are merely markers made by human hands. What were our ancestors trying to tell us? Power spots are the sacred places of […]
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Koishikawa Kōrakuen （小石川後楽園） The Koishikawa Korakuen garden is, maybe, the best example for an Edo period daimyō strolling garden. Tokugawa Yorifusa, the eleventh child of Tokugawa Ieyasu and head of the Mito clan, started to build his residence and garden here. His son Tokugawa Mitsukuni completed it in 1669 as a garden with Japanese and Chinese elements. This garden is […]
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Hamarikyū Teien （浜離宮恩賜庭園） The Hamarikyu garden was built during the Edo period (1603 – 1868) as a leisure place for the Shogun. Therefore it was built directly next to Tokyo Bay on swampland and featured a gorgeous view on the sea and towards the mountains. There are several duck hunting sites, teahouses, and other facilities which entertained the Shogun. This […]
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Kiyosumi Teien（清澄庭園） The story tells, that the Kiyosumi garden was once part of the businessman Kinokuniya Bunzaemons property, who lived during the Edo Period (1603 – 1868). However, during the Meiji period (1868 – 1912), the Garden was remodeled by Iwasaki Yataro, the founder of Mitsubishi. Iwasaki purchased several gardens, but Kiyosumi garden was his stage to showcase special stones, […]
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Shinjuku Gyoen （新宿御苑） The Shinjuku Gyoen is one of the biggest parks in central Tokyo. It features three different garden sections: a Japanese garden with ponds connected by a river, a formal French garden with roses and an alley of plane trees, and an English Landscape garden. During the Edo period (1603 – 1868), the park was built adjacent to […]
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Rikugien （六義園） The Rikugien garden is dedicated to Waka poetry and resembles the six rules of Waka. Built during the Edo period (1603 – 1868), it showcases the typical features of a daimyō strolling garden. Later, it was purchased by the founder of Mitsubishi, who added to his taste here and there, but let the original structure almost untouched. This […]
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