Wow! I can't believe that now is spring. This spring makes it my 2nd year in Japan.
Flowers are blooming everywhere and I woke up to the sound of birds singing outside my window this morning. The sun is bright and everything is sunny. I felt that this is one of the most beautiful mornings I had in a long time. It has been so quiet during winter with everything so bare and gray before, but life seemed to have returned from its sleep. I have flowers blooming outside my apartment and they bloom so brilliantly as though they have always been forever like that.
To me, I felt that the spring is the best wake-up call for me to start to get active and do all the fun stuffs, especially after this year's cold, bare winter that seem to make me slow down on my work and studies.
And when spring arrives, it actually felt like the beginning of a new year. Everything starts moving. Everybody is getting busy as school starts and new employees start their first day at work in April. Some of us moved out and into a new place to live.
Even the nature is getting busy. The plants are budding out new leaves. Flowers are blooming. I guess spring is a wake-up call for every living thing on this planet.
I will be getting busy as well with hanami parties lining up, new semester at the university and of course, preparing more posts for this blog.
Today, I just want to introduce to you a place that is a favourite with Tokyoites whenever we need a big, open space to relax. I am sure that many who lives in Tokyo know about this place, the Showa Commemorative National Government Park (国営昭和記念公園 Kokuei Shōwa Kinen Kōen).
It is my favourite escape door to nature whenever I feel overwhelmed with life in Tokyo. It is relatively easy to get to from Shinjuku station and it takes about 30mins to get there by train.
The Showa Kinen Koen is a lovely park to go to at any time. And like Tokyo, it has never failed in surprising me with its beautiful flowers and peaceful walkways (although it is always full of people).
Before I start going on and on about how I love Showa Kinen Koen, first, enjoy some spring photos taken from the park.
Although you can't see the crowd from the pictures, but it is a busy park and lots of people come here (especially in spring and autumn) to take photos of the park, to relax, to play frisbee... But it still manages to feel spacious and peaceful despite everything.
This is a huge park and you will need at least half a day just to enjoy a small section of this park. I would recommend spending a whole day here because there is so much to see and much more to do. You can hire a small boat to row in the big lake, you rent a bicycle and ride around the park, have BBQ or picnic, kids can enjoy splashing around in the Rainbow Pool and much, much more to do.
It is a 400 Yen (update: it is 410yen as of 06.07.2014) for anyone above 15 years old and half price for senior citizen above 65 years old to enter the Showa Kinen Park, but I can assure you that you will feel the price is worth it once you enter this park.
The nearest station to the park is Nishi-Tachikawa Station (JR 西川 駅 or JR Nishi-Tachikawa eki) on the JR Ome line (青梅線) or you can stop at the JR Tachikawa Station (JR 立川 or JR Tachikawa eki) and walk 15-20 mins walk from there.
The website of Showa Kinen Koen also provides additional information on how to get there in English from various major stations, but I will put it up in this blog for you.
And the direction to get there if you arrive at the JR Tachikawa station (JR 立川) instead.
Flowers are blooming everywhere and I woke up to the sound of birds singing outside my window this morning. The sun is bright and everything is sunny. I felt that this is one of the most beautiful mornings I had in a long time. It has been so quiet during winter with everything so bare and gray before, but life seemed to have returned from its sleep. I have flowers blooming outside my apartment and they bloom so brilliantly as though they have always been forever like that.
To me, I felt that the spring is the best wake-up call for me to start to get active and do all the fun stuffs, especially after this year's cold, bare winter that seem to make me slow down on my work and studies.
And when spring arrives, it actually felt like the beginning of a new year. Everything starts moving. Everybody is getting busy as school starts and new employees start their first day at work in April. Some of us moved out and into a new place to live.
Even the nature is getting busy. The plants are budding out new leaves. Flowers are blooming. I guess spring is a wake-up call for every living thing on this planet.
I will be getting busy as well with hanami parties lining up, new semester at the university and of course, preparing more posts for this blog.
Today, I just want to introduce to you a place that is a favourite with Tokyoites whenever we need a big, open space to relax. I am sure that many who lives in Tokyo know about this place, the Showa Commemorative National Government Park (国営昭和記念公園 Kokuei Shōwa Kinen Kōen).
It is my favourite escape door to nature whenever I feel overwhelmed with life in Tokyo. It is relatively easy to get to from Shinjuku station and it takes about 30mins to get there by train.
The Showa Kinen Koen is a lovely park to go to at any time. And like Tokyo, it has never failed in surprising me with its beautiful flowers and peaceful walkways (although it is always full of people).
Before I start going on and on about how I love Showa Kinen Koen, first, enjoy some spring photos taken from the park.
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| It is seriously a beautiful day and I am happy to spend it with the yellow daffodils |
Although you can't see the crowd from the pictures, but it is a busy park and lots of people come here (especially in spring and autumn) to take photos of the park, to relax, to play frisbee... But it still manages to feel spacious and peaceful despite everything.
 |
| I wished I lived nearby enough to bring and read my book in this park |
This is a huge park and you will need at least half a day just to enjoy a small section of this park. I would recommend spending a whole day here because there is so much to see and much more to do. You can hire a small boat to row in the big lake, you rent a bicycle and ride around the park, have BBQ or picnic, kids can enjoy splashing around in the Rainbow Pool and much, much more to do.
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| Lovely park to relax |
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| The famous gingko lane |
It is a 400 Yen (update: it is 410yen as of 06.07.2014) for anyone above 15 years old and half price for senior citizen above 65 years old to enter the Showa Kinen Park, but I can assure you that you will feel the price is worth it once you enter this park.
The nearest station to the park is Nishi-Tachikawa Station (JR 西川 駅 or JR Nishi-Tachikawa eki) on the JR Ome line (青梅線) or you can stop at the JR Tachikawa Station (JR 立川 or JR Tachikawa eki) and walk 15-20 mins walk from there.
The website of Showa Kinen Koen also provides additional information on how to get there in English from various major stations, but I will put it up in this blog for you.
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| Photo credit: Showa Kinen Park |
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| Photo credit: Showa Kinen Park |
And the direction to get there if you arrive at the JR Tachikawa station (JR 立川) instead.
The Showa Kinen Koen is one of the easiest parks to go to whenever you are in the city and wanted to go somewhere naturally beautiful or whenever you just simply wanted to feel the grass under your feet.
So, have you been to the Showa Kinen Koen yet? If yes, what do you think of the park?
If no, do you think you will make a trip to the park after this post?
Share with me your experience at the park! So, till the next time ( ^_^)／
