Slightly off the beaten track in Central Tokyo

Tokyo has a population of close to 12 million with a further 20 million living in the Greater Tokyo Metropolitan Area. Central Tokyo has a population density of about 13,000 per square kilometer. In searching for a tranquil slightly off the beaten track spot it would be wise to realize right from the start that you will not be alone at whatever place you fancy to visit. Others will have similar plans and meet you there. The trick is to avoid the tens of thousands of Shinjuku station and head for quieter places, often easily reached by public transportation.

There are many parks and gardens in Central Tokyo, but the ones listed here are far superior. Korakuen is my top choice although the larger Rikugien garden is favored by many. The dense forested garden at the Nezu Institute is also a pleasant surprised and a relaxing way to end a visit to this superb museum.

The Fukagawa Edo Museum brings back memories of old Tokyo in an unpresuming way. The shrines and temples listed are famous and important but visited far less often than Meiji or Asakusa.

Quick Tips:

Avoid visiting on weekends is always a good start. Most places are much quieter on weekdays but watch out for noisy school trippers! However, places listed here are even on weekends quieter than most.

Places that charge for admission will usually have English pamphlets available with some useful information and maps. The free places, especially shrines and temples often do not have English information posted but information sheets are sometimes available if requested. Also try an Internet search with the shrine’s name - the amount of information on shrines available from personal websites is often astonishing.

Parks and gardens are at their best in spring (April / May) and autumn (November) when the weather is excellent for strolling outside. Summer months (July - September) are often too hot and humid for pleasurable outdoor pursuits, but the gardens will still be green. Winter months are generally bright and sunny with low humidity but the amount of greenery will be more limited. Superb air-conditioning makes museums and galleries a haven during sweltering summer heat.

Best Way To Get Around:

The subway is generally the easiest, fastest and cheapest way to travel any distance between sites. Tokyo subways are clean, safe and very reliable. Trains can get crowded during rush hour but the famous scenes of station employees in white gloves pushing people into the overcapacity filled trains are generally not seen in the central Tokyo area.

All the places described in this journal are within less than 10 minutes walk from a subway station. This makes it even more surprising that these places are not as crowded as the better-known sites. Going off the beaten track has never been easier.

Note that many of the gardens and temples are not suitable for wheel chairs and strollers due to the number of stairs and gravel paths. Carrying a baby is much easier without a stroller on your back, so leave the stroller at the entrance - in Japan the risk of it getting stolen is remote.

Most Tokyoites associate Koraku with either a famous fun park or the enormous Tokyo Dome, which is used for indoor baseball games amongst other things. However, behind the huge Tokyo Dome is the oldest and arguably the most beautiful stroll through garden in Tokyo. It is currently my top choice of gardens to visit in Tokyo - it is very scenic, photogenic, easily reached and above all fairly quiet even on weekends.

The construction of Korakuen garden began around 1629. The basic idea was to imitate famous Japanese and Chinese scenic sites - both real and imaginary ones featuring in famous literature and other arts.

The first sight is a huge 60-year-old weeping cherry tree. Behind the tree is the central attraction: the Large Pond with islands and strategically placed rocks to give the impression of a lake. At times the white roof of the huge Tokyo Dome is visible in the background, looking more like a cloud against the blue sky than the modern construction it really is.

Crossing the first wooden bridge, a miniature mountain is to the left. Continuing along the banks of the pond you soon reach the small though picturesque Shiraito waterfalls. The only way to progress is via the stepping-stones.

Continue along the iris garden and rice paddies to the plum orchard. Climb the stairs of the Komachi-zuka Mound to enjoy changing vistas. The original stairs, which are incredible steep, are visible but closed off. Descent towards the stone Engetsukyo Bridge - the round arch is supposed to give a perfect circle reflection during full moon.

En route to the Inner Garden stroll along the Large Pond and enjoy the constantly changing scenery as different elements of the garden come into view. The Inner Garden has a smaller more intimate pond with an island. For some the view is spoiled by the modern buildings in the background, but personally I consider it as symbolic of Tokyo’s ability to have old and new next to each other in perfect harmony.

Before exiting, climb the miniature mountain. The view from the top is magnificent. Descent towards the rear of the mountain and cross the beautiful vermilion arched Tsutenkyo Bridge. At the bottom of the stream are more stepping-stones from which the bridge can be seen through a narrow gorge. On the way to the exit pass the straight low stone saiko-no-tsutsumi walkway.

Although there are several sites for picnics in the garden, and several toilets, food and drinks are only available at the main entrance. The choice is very limited so it may be wiser to come prepared.

Entrance is yen 300 and free for those over 65. A free English map is available. The garden is inaccessible for wheel chairs or strollers.

The garden is close to Iidabashi station on several subway and JR lines.

The Hie Jinja is located just off Sakurada-dori, one of the main thoroughfares in Akasaka. The main entrance is via a steep set of broad stairs close to the entrance of the Capital Tokyo Hotel. These stairs are always shaded by huge trees and lit at night by traditional style stone lanterns. An alternative is via the equally steep road starting close to the bottom of the stairs. A more interesting entrance is from the back via a set of narrow stairs shaded by a "tunnel" of numerous small red torii (gates). (Some English guidebooks incorrectly state that these torii disappeared during recent maintenance work.)

A further entrance is via the recently constructed and very ostentatious grand entrance close to the enormous Sanno Park Tower building. You enter here by passing through a huge concrete torii and can then either go up via a wide stairway or by outdoor escalator (be warned: the escalator goes only about two thirds of the way). Everything about this entrance says this shrine has money - something confirmed by the size of the Toyotas parked in the shrine office parking lot!

Whichever entrance you choose they all lead to the main buildings of the shrine, which are not particularly large or impressive given the history and importance of this shrine. The first Hie Shrine was built in Kyoto and as it became the head quarters of the influential Tendai Buddhist sect, more than 3,400 Hie shrines were constructed throughout Japan. The origins of this particular one dates back to 1478 when it was constructed inside the grounds of the new Edo (Tokyo)Castle for protection. The shrine was later moved and eventually established at the current location in 1659. However, the richly decorated shrine was destroyed during the Second World War and the current concrete building was constructed in 1967.

The shrine never lost its status as protector of the castle and currently fulfill the same role for the Imperial Palace. As a result the Imperial Chrysanthemum crest can be spotted at the shrine. During the biennial shrine festival about 30 mikoshi (portable shrines) are carried through the streets of Tokyo. The participants are allowed to enter the palace grounds - an honor not extended to any other shrine. The festival in mid-June during even years is considered one of the three big festivals of Tokyo.

At the bottom of the stairs leading to the main shrine are two monkeys. The one to the right is most often photographed but the one to the left, although partly obscured by a kiosk, is more interesting. This one carries a baby and is often visited by pregnant women to ensure a safe and smooth delivery.

Despite the historical importance of the shrine and its location close to Akasaka it is never crowded except during special religious events.

Entrance is free. The grounds are open 24h but the main buildings are closed from around sunset.

Subway station: Tameike-Sanno & Kokai-Gijidomae

Zojoji Temple cannot in all honesty be described as off the beaten track. It is a well-known temple and attracts a lot of visitors. However, on weekdays it is often very quiet here.

Zojoji was one of the family temples of the Tokugawa Shogunate that ruled Japan during the Edo Period (1603 - 1868). During Edo times the complex was enormously rich and powerful. It was 66 hectare in size with 48 subsidiary temples and more than 100 administrative buildings and dormitories. However, it paid the price for being on the wrong side of history at the end of the nineteenth century.

In 1873 the Main Hall was burned down by arsonist protesting the blending of "foreign" Buddhism and "pure" Shinto at this complex - also see journal on Toyokawa Inari shrine for more on this. In 1909 a further fire destroyed some buildings and the bombing of the Second World War did the rest.

The current Main Hall was constructed in 1974 and several additional buildings were completed in the past few years. However, the construction of major interest is the two-story Sanmon gate - the main entrance to the complex. Somehow this beautiful gate escaped the calamities of the centuries and survived basically intact. It was erected in 1605 by Ieyasu, the first Tokugawa Shogun and is the oldest wooden structure in Tokyo. Three other gates that survived from the seventeenth century are further down the road but have been neglected and are in bad condition.

Inside the temple ground is a gigantic copper bell - weighing about 15,000 kg and over 3 meters tall. It was cast in 1673 and it is said that its sound could be heard in Chiba across Tokyo Bay.

It is impossible to miss the hundreds of small Jizo statues that line one of the fences of this complex. These small statues are used in the burial ceremonies of infants - see Jizo Hall in Kamakura for more information on their role in ensuring reincarnation. At Zojoji these statues are often dressed and frequently have small windmills making for a colorful display in sharp contrast to the sad circumstances surrounding their origin.

Behind the Main Hall is another reminder of how far the Tokugawas have fallen. The crest of the Tokugawa clan is embossed on a heavy metal gate that once guarded the family graveyard. Here in a minute area are the tombs of six Tokugawa shoguns and three wives - completely forgotten by history and disregarded by modern Tokyo.

The Zojoji Temple is close to the Roppongi Prince Hotel and in the shade of Tokyo Tower next to the Shiba Park sporting complex.

Main hall open 09:00 - 17:00, precincts open 24h

4-7-35 Shibakoen, Minato-ku Tel: 4321 1431

Subway: Onarimon

In Aoyama-dori, just two blocks from the busy Akasaka-Mistuke crossing and the New Otani and Akasaka Prince hotels, is the Toyokawa Inari Shrine. The shrine buildings and grounds are not particularly impressive and the main reason to visit is to see the numerous stone foxes.

In Western legends foxes often have a negative connotation of deviousness and slyness. However, in Shinto the white fox is the messenger of the god Inari. Inari is the god of the rice harvest, which in modern times make Inari also the deity to pay tribute to in order to ensure prosperity in commerce. (This helps to explain the obvious prosperity of this shrine.) The fox has the ability to easily change into human form - a characteristic shared with the snake and badger - and as the messenger of Inari is revered and feared as it can as easily be the carrier of bad luck rather than good luck. The fox is also blamed for causing malevolence in humans ranging from depression to insanity.

However, at the Toyokawa shrine the main task of the fox is as guardian of the shrine of Inari. Hundreds of foxes of all sizes are crammed into the small grounds of this complex. Most have red cloth bibs and there are also flags with the names of donors. Smaller shrines with small red torii are also erected at various points. The water font used for purification prior to prayers has two dragons as spouts - dragons are generally a sign of good luck in Eastern mythology. There are also a number of stone and metal snakes to protect some of the deities.

Another interesting aspect of this shrine complex is that it almost seamlessly blends Shinto and Buddhist aspects - something that was quite common up to the end of the nineteenth century. However, during the Meiji era Buddhist elements were removed from Shinto shrines as Shinto was established as state religion - something very much exploited during the fascist period of Japanese history during the first half of the twentieth century. Currently many shrines again mix the two religions or at least have Buddhist temples and Shinto shrines in close proximity. The torii as well as straw ropes are typical Shinto signs of entering a sacred area and usually mark the entrance to shrines.

From the busy Aoyama Dori (also known as Route 246) the shrine is instantly recognizable from the row of magnificent bright red paper lanterns that runs the full length of the grounds at the top of the wall surrounding the complex.

Entrance to the shrine is free. On weekdays outside religious events the grounds are often deserted despite its location in a busy road close to Akasaka.

1-4-7 Moto-Azabu, Minato-ku, Tokyo 107

Tel: 03-3408-3414

We visited the Nezu Institute of Fine Arts on a glorious sunny early spring Sunday. We were not really in the mood for Fine Arts, and didn’t know what to expect, but we have heard of the serene garden at the institute and was keen to visit it.

The Nezu Institute is at the far end of Omotesando, away from the Meiji Shrine and past the smart boutiques. Entrance is a fairly steep yen 1,000 and include admission to both the museum and garden.

As it turned out the fine art was a very pleasant surprised and of extremely high quality. The museum has a collection of over seven thousand objects but very few are actually exhibited and the whole display can be seen in less than an hour.

The first hall is for rotating displays and change according to the season. During our visit thirteen huge and magnificent screens dating from as early as the seventeenth century were on display. All names of works are in Japanese and English but further explanations are in Japanese only.

The permanent displays include world-renowned Chinese bronzes from the Shang and Zhou dynasties. Also on display are several ancient Buddhist statues. Perhaps of lesser interest to laymen are the displays of tea ceremony utensils but the huge number of kimono clad Japanese ladies admiring these utensils clearly indicates that they are of some importance. Beautiful lacquer ware can be appreciated by all - of particular note are the writing boxes and almost dollhouse size writing tables dating from a period before Word auto-corrected typing mistakes.

The museum has a small gift shop with high quality works and prices to match. We were planning to lunch in the small café that is beautifully located above the garden but children under five were not welcome! Fortunately you are spoiled for choice in the Omotesando area.

The garden was the real surprise of this visit and surpassed all expectations. It is densely forested and within minutes you are away from the city. The garden is in the stroll through style with numerous paths conjuring up new vistas with every twist and turn. Several paths lead down a fairly steep hill past streams and waterfalls to the central pond. There are seven teahouses in the garden but not open to the general public. However, the mainly older Japanese ladies clad in Kimonos on their way to and from tea ceremonies recall a bygone era. Buddhist statues and stone lanterns are scattered through out the garden.

Although we visited on a glorious spring Sunday we were often alone for several minutes. During weekdays the garden must be serene and in complete contrast to the hustle and bustle of the busy neighborhoods surrounding it.

Both the garden and museum are totally inaccessible to wheel chairs and strollers. The museum is closed on Mondays and about five minutes walk from Omotesando subway station (Ginza, Hanzomon and Chiyoda lines).

The Fukugawa Edo Museum attempts to recreate life as it was in Tokyo in the nineteenth century. At that stage Tokyo was still called Edo and the Tokugawa Shoguns ruled Japan from Edo while the Emperor was just a powerless symbol living in Kyoto.

The museum recreated several life size buildings typical of Fukagawa, a neighborhood on the east side of the Sumida River in Tokyo. This part of Edo prospered from the mid-eighteenth century as craftsmen and traders congregated here and established the need for further services and entertainment. This was an era in which the nobles (samurai) looked down upon the merchants, even though the latter where financially much stronger.

The main part of the museum is a three story high hall with the recreated neighborhood. All details are faithful to the original down to the use of the correct type of nails and wood - no cleverly disguised concrete here as is so common with many other post-World War II reconstructions in Japan. The buildings include warehouses, shops (oil, vegetable, rice), tenement houses, stalls, a fire tower, tavern and a canal.

It is possible to peek into all the buildings. As was the practice then, and still today in most houses in Japan, you have to take your shoes off if you want to enter further than the landing. This is allowed in most buildings here and visitors may go into the rooms to see the displays closer up. However, it is possible to see most of the displays by just entering the rooms - privacy was very limited and there really isn’t much place to hide anything from public view.

The neighborhood includes a main street but also very narrow alleys with very realistic fittings throughout - some corners and overhangs are really just waiting for a personal injury lawsuit to happen!

The museum has special lighting effects that can recreate day and night but it was fairly dark most of the time making photography without a flash and tripod difficult. (The accompanied photos are digitally enhanced!).

The museum is located in a beautiful narrow tree lined street and several of the shopkeepers wore period costume. The public toilets in this street follow the theme. There is also a temple (with zero English explanations) in the same street with a lovely small garden and a seated Buddha. The restaurant across the street has an enlarged New York Times write up and was crowded enough to confirm the review. Some of the shops look as if time stood still, maybe not since Edo times but little changed since the 1960s.

The museum is similar in aim to the Shitamachi Museum in Ueno, but much better done and certainly worth going of the beaten track.

Entry: yen 300

Location: 1-3-28 Shirakawa, Koto-ku, Tel: 03-3630-8625

Hours: 09:30 - 17:00, closed second and fourth Monday each month

Access: 3 min walk from Kiyosumi Shirakawa station on the Oedo Subway line

The Rikugien Garden is one of the best examples in Tokyo of the walk around garden style. One of the aims of a walk around garden is to present constantly different perspectives and views by leading the visitor down paths to special viewing points. The style is similar to the much smaller garden of the Hotel New Otani.

The garden was originally laid out from 1695 and construction took over seven years to complete. A pond was dug and small mountains were created and encircled by a stream. The water features, mountains and plants together created 88 scenes from famous waka poems. The scenes are described on plaques but only in Japanese - not that the average Westerner would have been able to make any sense out of it if the signs were bilingual. However, the free English map gives a good layout of the park and some explanations. The park, at 8,6 hectare is still enormous by Tokyo standards but smaller than the original. It has been designated a special historical site by the Japanese government.

Two routes through the park are clearly marked - one 30 minutes and one for 60 minute stroll. These times are fairly accurate taking into account stopping times.

The park is dominated by the huge pond, which has not only colorful khoi (carp) but also lots of turtles. Several islands and rocks make the pond more interesting.

Tea is served at several teahouses (chaya) but at others you have to bring your own. A kiosk sells bento lunches of limited appeal so it is wise to bring your own picnic lunch, which can be enjoyed at several rest spots with benches.

The highest point in the park is the Fujishiro-toge Mountain at 35 meters - from the top virtually the whole park can be seen. Of special note is the Togetsukyo Bridge, which is constructed from two huge stone plates supported by rocks underneath. This bridge as with several others in this park is without support rails, not that it seems to deter elderly Tokyoites who seemed to enjoy the challenge.

Large parts of this garden are inaccessible to strollers and wheel chairs due to the number of stairs, stepping stone and uneven bridges.

Although this park is located in a mainly residential area not often frequented by visitors to Tokyo it is very easy to reach as it is on the major JR Yamanote Loopline and within minutes of central Tokyo on the relatively new Namboku line.

Address: 6-16-3 Hon-komagome, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo

Access: 5 min walk from Komagome Station (JR Yamonote Line or Namboku Subway line)

Hours: 09:00 - 17:00

Admission: yen 300