Hamarikyu Garden is a public park in Chuo, Tokyo. It is located at the mouth of the Sumida River and surrounded by a seawater moat filled by Tokyo Bay. It was remodeled as a public garden park on the site of a villa of the Shogun Tokugawa family from the 17th century.
Kyu-Furukawa Garden is a park in Kita City, Tokyo. The park includes an old western-style building designed by architect Josiah Conder, a rose garden, and a traditional Japanese-style garden.
A few weeks ago, I went back to Mitake to continue the trail to Mount Bounoore (aka Mount Bounomine) I had planned to do then but abandoned due to the fog.
Rikugien Garden (六義園) is a park in Bunkyo City, Tokyo. The garden consists of a pond, trees, and a hill. It was completed in 1702 and is a typical example of gardens from the Edo period. In November and early December, it becomes a popular spot for enjoying the autumn foliage (koyo). After dark, the garden stays open late and the trees are lit with special nighttime illuminations.
At 2,017m, Mount Kumotori (雲取山) is the highest mountain in Tokyo. The peak actually stands at the boundaries of Tokyo, Yamanashi Prefecture and Saitama Prefecture. I went there on a day-hike a few weeks ago. I basically followed the plan outlined here (with map).
A Peace Pagoda is a Buddhist stupa. It is designed to inspire peace and to help unite people of all races and creeds in their search for world peace. Most peace pagodas built since World War II have been built under the guidance of Nichidatsu Fujii, a Buddhist monk from Japan and founder of the Nipponzan-Myohoji Buddhist Order. Fujii was greatly inspired by his meeting with Mahatma Gandhi in 1931 and decided to devote his life to promoting non-violence. In 1947, he began constructing Peace Pagodas as shrines to World peace.
The Tokyo Peace Pagoda was inaugurated in August 1974 at the summit of Mount Odera (大寺山; 960m) near Lake Okutama. Not sure why or when it was abandoned. I had a first glimpse of the pagoda when I went to Mount Gozen a few weeks ago and I had no idea what it was: It seemed like a large structure (actually 45m in height and 55m of diameter) but there was no mention of it on maps or tourism pamphlets. So I went to see for myself after I got down from Mount Mito. The trail starts between Mito Bridge and Miyama Bridge on Lake Okutama. It takes about 50min to the summit. After getting back to Lake Okutama, I crossed the Miyama Bridge and waited for the bus back to Okutama JR station.
A couple of weeks ago, I hiked Mount Mito (三頭山; 1531m). It was my last of the “Three Mountains of Okutama”.
A couple of weeks ago, I went hiking in the sea-side town of Yugawara, in Kanagawa Prefecture, going up, in order, Mount Shiro (城山; 563m), Mount Maku (幕山; 626m) and Mount Nango (南郷山; 610m). They are not very high mountains but since the route starts at sea level, it still made for good exercise. The view on the Pacific Ocean during the hike was also great.
Koishikawa Korakuen Garden is in Koishikawa, Bunkyo, Tokyo, next to Tokyo Dome City. It is one of two surviving Edo period clan gardens in modern Tokyo and one of the oldest and best preserved parks in Tokyo.
Mount Jinba (陣馬山; 857m) and Mount Takao (高尾山; 599m) are mountains in Hachioji, in western Tokyo. I had already done this trail starting from Mount Takao but it was raining quite heavily then, with a lot of fog as well. A couple of weeks ago, confident in the stability of late autumn weather, I set out for Hachioji again, but this time started at the base of Mount Jinba.