Hamarikyu Park Tokyo

Hamarikyu Park Toyko

4.9

Rating

4.9/5

Flyctory.com Pros

Lovely park and botanical garden
Fascinating history
Japanese Tea House
Beautiful contrast between historic Japan and skyscrapers in the background

As Hamarikyu Park is close to the hotel we stayed in during our September 2023 trip (Conrad Tokyo) to Tokyo, my wife and I felt to add a visit there. I have to say that finally the park has been one of the most lovely experiences in the Japanese capital. Maybe it is not on your bucket list yet. The more, it is time to share some thoughts about this place, which is a lovely combination of a park, a botanical garden and some Japanese history open air museum. Enjoy my review. The place is sometimes also referenced to as Hamarikyu Gardens.

Hamarikyu Park Toyko – Location & Admission

Hamarikyu Park is located South of the city center of Tokyo, right at the Northern edge of the harbor area. It is located in the district of Chuo. There used to be ferry connections to the park, which was closed during our visit. The easiest way to get into the park is by the station Shiodome (Oedo and Yurikamone Line) and Tsukijishijo (Oedo Line only). Shibashi train station also offers train connections.

Opening times are daily between 9:00 and 17:00. Adult admission to the park is 300 JPY, roughly 1,80 Euro.

Hamarikyu Park Toyko – The Visit

The park has been transformed from a natural habitat into a royal park already in the 17th century. The initial transformation included the ditch, which is still there today. Later, the walls around Hamarikyu Park were added. Before that, it was a hunting ground of the shogun. The general structure as it has been today, including tea houses and other facilities were finalized under the 11th shogun Ienari. Thus, even though many people use the park rather as a recreational area, it is featuring numerous historic references and buildings. As such, it is an important witness of culture during the Edo dynasty. There are visitors’ guides (also available in English). The signs in the park are in English as well. Due to the skyscapers around the park, it is easy to orientate anyway.

While some houses can just be explored from outside, there are also some which allow you to have a look inside. Even if you just want to relax and enjoy nature on a sunny day, the place is definitely worth the small admission fee. A lovely place is the shore which gives you a nice view over the Sumida river to the Toyomicho district. Another lovely area to recreate is walking along one of the three ponds. One of them is connected to the sea and thus filled with sea water. The contrast of enjoying nature and gardening and having the tall buildings of Tokyo in the background is amazing.

Apart from the historic (partially: reconstructed) buildings, there are also some ancient statues in the Northwest area of the park. In this area, you also have most of the buildings and other services (see below).

Wildlife

Hamarikyu Park is also a treat for nature lovers. There is a nice range of flowers. One key attraction is a 300 year old pine tree. On the animal side, there is a wide range of birds and butterflies.

Hamarikyu Park Toyko – Services

The tea house in Hamarikyu Park offers you a traditional Japanese tea experience. There is also a kiosk to buy some snacks. At a couple of spots around the park, there are drinking water dispensers. In general, I would, however, recommend to bring some water and maybe a snack with you, especially on a wam summer day.

Hamarikyu Park Toyko – My View

I rarely share my thoughts at the beginning of a review already – but I just had to do in this one. Hamarikyu Park is an amazing spot in Tokyo. If you have a free time slot on a sunny day in Tokyo, I definitely recommend thinking about a visit. However, the park is quite large. 90 minutes are the absolute minimum you should allow for. If you want to do the tea ceremony, add at least 45 minutes on top of that.