Photo by melissakartini
Famous Tokyo Gardens Photo Essays
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After visiting Koishikawa Korakuen Gardens just a few days prior, I was in a pretty sweet Autumn-viewing mood. All I wanted to do was to see more, and I thank God I was able to see more of the beauty that this season has to offer.
My second garden of choice was Rikugien Gardens. I found out about this particular garden through a brochure advertising the garden itself and its limited time Autumn-viewing illumination event. It was one of the few gardens holding such an event, so the decision to go was really a no-brainer.
On top of that, I decided to go both during the day and night, because why not?
And honestly, it was well worth it.
Photo by melissakartini
Can you imagine anything that looks more magical than this?
At the time I paid the garden a visit, it was a few hours before class. So that I meant I had a little less than two hours to enjoy the garden, but really, that was more than enough. Especially since I was on my own.
Photo by melissakartini
Photo by melissakartini
Photo by melissakartini
I have to say that despite immediately and naturally wanting to compare this garden to Koishikawa Korakuen Gardens, it was clear that upon venturing past the lake up front, the concept it bears is starkly different.
For one thing, while Koishikawa Korakuen Gardens is undeniably a work of immaculate, extremely delicate artistry, Rikugien Gardens, which isn’t without its own brand of poetry, holds a charm that can be likened to a fairy-tale woodland.
Foliage was plentiful and colourful, and there were countless tall, shady trees with overhanging branches, making them perfect to rest under. The management of Rikugien Gardens took advantage of this by installing numerous teahouses at selected clearings located throughout the area.
Photo by melissakartini
Photos by melissakartini
This makes Rikugien Gardens all the more perfect for a leisurely day out–a contrast to Korakuen, which only has one teahouse. I was able to soak in the atmosphere at Rikugien whilst enjoying a warm cup of Amazake (fermented rice drink) and yummy dango at one of the teahouses. Lovely.
Which leads to another difference in comparison to Koishikawa Korakuen Gardens: more love-struck couples, hehe. 🙂
Photo by melissakartini
Photo by melissakartini
A lil’ tidbit: I used to read a lot of fairy-tales as a child. That part of me was happy after visiting this garden.
I know that there are still lots more stunning sights out there waiting, but I’m glad to have at least seen one that fits my imagination of the stories I read. For that, I’m thankful.
Photo by melissakartini
Photo by melissakartini
I mean, it’s just so easy to envision little fairies and pixies flitting through the trees, and hovering over the bodies of water, giggling. As silly as it sounds, that was what I had running through my mind. Blame it on the Enid Blyton books I read!
I enjoyed my time at the gardens so much that just like before, I was regretful when I had to leave.
Photos by melissakartini
Still, I had the night-time Autumn-viewing illumination event to look forward to after school the next day.
I kept that in mind as I headed out, making note to leave school immediately once classes ended.
Rikugien Gardens at Night
Photo by melissakartini
For this portion of the post, I think I’ll mostly let the photos speak for themselves.
There is not much that I can add about it aside from the night atmosphere. As opposed to the day, the gardens were lit up with numerous lights, illuminating it in just the right way that it looked like something straight out of a postcard rather than just… you know, gardens with lights on.
It was at that moment, that I wished I had a better camera for nighttime photo-taking.
Photos by melissakartini
Still, I tried my best. The photos didn’t come out too bad, I think?
And look! They decided to amp up the intrigue by adding a blue, misty effect at one section of the gardens.
There were so many people crowding along that path that it proved a bit difficult to snap a proper shot. It took me awhile to get shots that I was somewhat happy with.
Photos by melissakartini
So eerily beautiful.
I’m now convinced that Autumn-viewing isn’t an activity that can only be done during the day. Done right, nighttime Autumn-viewing can be just as gorgeous.
Photos by melissakartini
Trees and their reflections in the water.
Can you tell where the reflections begin?
Photos by melissakartini
A small note, however, for those who are interested in checking out the next nighttime illumination event. When I visited it, they restricted a great chunk of the area, so visitors were largely limited to exploring the edges of the gardens. Possibly to make it easier for them to ensure no one was lingering when it was about time to close (Rikugien Gardens was only open past its usual hours for this event. Otherwise, it would usually close at 5 p.m.).
That said, this didn’t detract much from the experience. I could still indulge in a leisurely stroll, and even had another helping of Amazake and dango while I was at it.
Entrance details
- Opening hours: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. (Entry closed at 4:30 p.m.)
- Closed: Year-end holidays (December 29th to January 1st)
- Individual admission fee: 300 yen (General), 150 yen (65 or over)
- Group (20 or more) admission fee: 240 yen (General), 120 yen (65 or over)
- Free admission days: Greenery Day (May 4th) and Tokyo Citizen’s Day (October 1st)
- Contact: 03-3941-2222
