Rikugien Gardens – Komagome, Tokyo

Surprisingly Tranquil

Just three stops along the Yamanote Line, one of the busiest and most important rail lines in Tokyo, is Komagome. Only a few minutes walk from the station lies Rikugien Gardens, a surprisingly tranquil and most beautiful place.

During our visit to Rikugien Gardens, I was expecting to find it busy with people escaping the hustle and bustle of the worlds most densely populated metropolitan area. However, there was hardly a soul in sight. It was hard to believe, but we almost had the whole place to ourselves!

Rikugien Gardens

Constructed between 1695 – 1702, 六義園 (Rikugi-en) means “Garden of the Six Principals”, referring to the six elements of waka poetry. Originally commissioned by the samurai Yanagisawa Yoshiyasu, and later (1878) restored by the founder of Mitsubishi, Iwasaki Yatarō and his younger brother Iwasaki Yanosuke. In 1938 the gardens were donated to the Tokyo City government.

The gardens today are about a third of their original size, and since 1953 have been specified as a special place of scenic beauty by the Japanese government.

Rikugien Gardens consist of a pond, small hills and many species of trees. Within the pond are various fish and terrapins.

During the spring Sakura (cherry blossom) season and the autumn, the gardens light up at night and remain open until 9pm.

There is a small matcha tea room serving fresh matcha and Jounamagashi (traditional Japanese sweets). Available during the summer as iced matcha, the perfect refreshment on a hot and humid day!

A little further around the path is a hut selling various souvenirs and delicious Kakigori (shaved ice). We chose the home made plum syrup as our topping, it was amazing!

A Beautiful Juxtaposition

Surrounded on all sides by the tall buildings of a metropolitan city, Rikugien Gardens are a magical and wonderful place to escape within. A beautiful juxtaposition to the silver and grey, the busy and loud.

Only three stops away from Ikebukuro, one of Tokyo’s busiest and most popular shopping and entertainment areas.

I highly recommend a visit! Even on a meltingly hot and humid day, it was most enjoyable and a welcomed break from all things city-life.

Thank you for reading… You can check out more photos of Rikugien Gardens and other places on my photography page.