Shinjuku Gyoen

My mother came to visit us recently so we took her to all the tourist spots between our home and Tokyo. most of the areas were repeat visits for us, but one new area was Shinjuku Gyoen.

After days of temples, amusement parks, and multi-floor shopping we retreated into the quiet and beautiful gardens nestled amid the bustle of one of Tokyo's busiest wards. Shinjuku Gyoen is home to some of the oldest trees in Tokyo and has been a point of horticultural significance since being established as an Imperial garden over a hundred years ago.

The garden is a blend of three garden styles. After walking through rows of cherry trees we were in a French Formal garden. Large paved walkways surrounded low bushes with hundreds of roses in this area.

The next area we walked though was an English Landscape style - large grassy areas broken up by small clusters of trees and low shrubs.

Finally, we found ourselves in a traditional Japanese garden. This area looked like many of the other Japanese gardens we have toured - small, gravel paths with low manicured trees dotting rolling grassy hills.

It was a nice break from all the hustle and bustle of Tokyo. I imagine the cherry blossoms in the spring are beautiful. We may have to schedule a return trip just to see them.