Hanami or Sakura viewing is a Japanese ritual where they gather around famous parks and gardens to behold the spectacle of flowering Sakura trees. Sakura is the flower of cherry trees otherwise known as cherry blossoms. The locals would sit around green turfs and watch hundreds and thousands of cherry trees wrapped in pastel pink Sakura, fluttering in the wind.
Just as much as Sakura is a part of Japanese culture so are their traditional gardens, welcoming you to a world brimming with serenity, allure and bliss. Amidst the bullet trains and soaring concrete giants, Tokyo too is speckled with lush greenery, becoming mini oases to escape the fast paced lifestyle. These strikingly landscaped gardens feature verdant turfs and multicoloured flowering trees and shrubs, surrounding serene lakes and ponds.
One of the interesting gardens in Tokyo is Hama-Rikyu Sunken Garden, nestled at the river mouth of Sumida River in the Chuo Ward of Tokyo. This scenic garden is surrounded by the Shiori Pond, a seawater pond that rises and recedes in sync with the Tokyo Bays tides.
The famous Shinjuku Gyoen, the national garden, is a harmonious blend of English, French and Japanese landscaping styles. This beautiful garden rests in Shinjuku Ward, famous as a major administrative and commercial hub of Tokyo. You could see a wide variety of cherry trees, chrysanthemums as well as vivid hydrangea, blooming in their respective flowering seasons.
The Koto Ward of Tokyo boasts of another stunning Japanese garden called the Kiyosumi Teien. Impressive landscape stones brought from many parts of Japan adorn this garden and its large pond. Stone trails falling across the pond invites you for a mindful walk, where you can capture the glimpses of swimming fishes and wading turtles.
Gardening enthusiasts would definitely enjoy a tour in Jindai Botanical Garden, perched at the corner of Musashino Plateau in Chofu City in Tokyo. This botanical garden houses around 100,000 florae of over 4000 species. From roses to Sakura, peonies to azalea you are bound to be lost in a paradise of gorgeous flowers.
Sit on the lush turfs and let yourself inhale some fresh air. Absorb the sweet fragrances of blooming flowers and fill your eyes with the exquisite beauty of nature. A visit to these picturesque gardens in Tokyo is a must in your Tokyo sightseeing itinerary. You can stay at a
Tokyo luxury hotel like the Shangri-La Hotel Tokyo set in the heart of Tokyo in Chiyoda-ku. This elegant
Tokyo hotel sits next to the Tokyo Station that will connect you with other cities via its bullet trains. You can also explore other tourist attractions in Tokyo easily from here, while being pampered with Shangri-Las unrivalled hospitality.
