Journeys›Photograph

A Quiet Garden Surrounded by Tokyo Skyscrapers

·港区, 日本·#japan#travel#architecture#tokyo#minato#hamarikyu-gardens
A Japanese garden with a green pond, manicured trees, distant city buildings, and several people walking.

I was in Tokyo for a few days in mid-September 2018. One of the most striking places I visited was this garden in Minato. The main thing that stays with me is the contrast. You're inside this quiet, green, traditionally landscaped space, but it's completely encircled by a wall of modern skyscrapers.

The day was bright and sunny, almost hazy. I walked the paths around the large central pond, which was calm enough to reflect the buildings surrounding it. There are several traditional teahouses and other structures right on the water, connected by long wooden bridges. It wasn't crowded; just a few other people were walking the grounds.

It was a strange feeling to be looking at a perfectly manicured pine tree, then glance up and see the cityscape looming just over the treeline. The garden feels like a bubble of the past preserved in the middle of a massive, modern city.

Just outside the garden, on the side of a huge glass building, was this incredibly intricate, massive mechanical clock. It was an unexpected find and a completely different kind of detailed design compared to the natural forms inside the park.

A scenic park with a large pond, green trees, a wooden bridge, and tall city buildings in the background.A large traditional Japanese garden with a pond, a wooden teahouse, and pine trees, framed by city skyscrapers.A traditional Japanese garden pond with a tea house, surrounded by trees and modern skyscrapers in the background.A Japanese garden with a large pond, traditional buildings, a wooden bridge, and modern skyscrapers in the background.A Japanese garden pond with a wooden bridge and trees, with several tall skyscrapers in the background.A Japanese garden pond with traditional buildings, green trees, and distant modern city high-rises under a blue sky.A traditional Japanese garden featuring a large pond, a wooden bridge, historic buildings, lush trees, and several people walking.A large, intricate, steampunk-style clock with animated figures is mounted on a modern glass building.

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