All of the PDF documents in this directory are 1-page scans (usually front & back side) of brochures I picked up while visiting gardens in the Tokyo metro area. Most are from the Tokyo Metropolitan Park Association.

The file "tokyo-gardens.zip" contains all of these files.

Helpful Navigation Hints, Etc.

These items are listed in alphabetical order, not in helpful-for-navigating-on-a-single-day order.

• The aaa-summary* files are a summary handout of 9 of the Association's most popular (?) parks. The maps for each of them are mostly-helpful (see exception immediately below).
  • Always remember: Japanese maps do not always have "north" pointing straight up!
• I do not have a brochure from the Hama-rikyu Gardens, which is too bad. It is one of the larger gardens, plenty to see. Plus, it has a "water taxi" stop. Had I known, I would have tried to create a tour day that would have used a water taxi (more like a "bus" than taxi).
  • Had I known this garden was so close to Kyu-Shiba-rikyu Gardens, I would have walked from one to the other. I got lost walking from the JR Yamanote Line Shimbashi Station to Hama-rikyu. I think it would be much easier to find via the Metro's Shiodome Station or Tsukijishijo Station (Oedo Line), or walking under the elevated expressway from Kyu-Shiba-rikyu Gardens.`
• The Kiyosumi Gardens: I had a nice picnic inside this garden, bringing a bento take-away with me. If I remember correctly, the hot bento store was on the corner, diagonally across the intersection from the A3 exit at Kiyosumi-Shirakawa Station (Honzomon Line).
• The Koishikawa Korakuen Gardens are my favorite. If the amusement park of the next-door Tokyo Dome could be removed, it'd be even better (or at least more quiet).
  It was easier to find, I think, from the Metro (Oedo Line or Marunouchi Line) via the Korakuen Station:
  • Cross the whatever-its-name street so you're on the same side of the Tokyo Dome, then walk counter-clockwise around it until you find the garden entrance.
  • If you take JR or the Metro to an Idabashi Station:
    • Get yourself on the same side of the Kandagawa River as the elevated expressway above,cc then follow the river away from the station until you get to a stoplight & crosswalk, then follow that street to the entrance.
• Kyu-Shiba-rikyu Gardens are probably the easiest to find: it is immediately across the tracks from the JR Mamamatsucho Station (JR Yamanote Line). Geographically, Kyu-Shiba-rikyu is quite close to the Hama-rikyu Gardens. At the time, unfortunately, I didn't realize that, so I visited the two on different days. Hama-rikyu Gardens has an entrance, IIRC, that's adjacent to the elevated expressway that runs on its east edge, so it should be possible to follow that expressway to get from one to the other.
• Rikugien Gardens are closest to Joe Norton's house, up on the north-east side of the JR Yamanote Line loop.
• The Shinjuku Gyoen Garden park is huge, easily the largest of the gardens that I have visited so far. In fact, there are three different gardens within the park: Japanese, French, and English gardens. I recommend leaving more time to explore this park than many of the other gardens.
  • The brochure I have does not include a map. No matter, I got lost trying to find this place via a map. :-)
  • http://www.env.go.jp/garden/shinjukugyoen/english/index.html. The "Access Map" there is sortof-helpful, but its orientation is weird: North is roughly 5 o'clock (i.e. nearly straight downward).
  • I took the JR Yamanote Line to Shinjuku Station, uses the South Exit, turn left/south and walk down the ramp. The intersection at the bottom of the ramp is confusing(*), but you want to cross Meiji-dori Ave and keep going away from the railroad tracks and then follow the curve slightly to the right to reach the nearest gate. (*) There was a street map at the base of that ramp, but it didn't have North = up either!