Yamanote Line

Photo: Gaijin Camera
Yamanote Line
Komagome Station
August 16, 2013

Komagome Station駒込駅・こまごめえきis a small station serving the 山手線やまのてせん・Yamanote Line and 南北線なんぼくせん・Namboku Subway Line and is surrounded by two large and popular gardens.

Rikugien Garden六義園・りくぎえん is a five minute walk to the south of 駒込駅こまごめえき・Komagome Station, and is regarded as one of Japan’s most beautifully landscaped gardens. It’s construction began in 1695 and was completed in 1702 and contains a いけ・pond with several islands in the center, man-made hills covered in shrubs and trees, forested areas, crooked and rustic はし・bridges crossing the streams and lead up to and away from the pond, 石灯ろうとうろう・stone lanterns, and several wooden 茶室ちゃしつ・ちゃしつ.

The name 六義園りくぎえん・Rikugien means, “the six elements of poetry garden.” The designers took this literally and there are 88 scenes from several famous waka-style Japanese し・poems recreated throughout the garden. 六義園りくぎえん・Rikugien is quite spacious and a walk along all of it’s paths will take you at least an hour.

The other garden is the Kyu Furukawateien旧古河庭園・きゅうふるかわていえん, a 10-15 minutes walk to the north of Komagome on the Hongo Dori. The 旧古河庭園きゅうふるかわていえん・Kyu Furukawateien perfectly blends an eastern style Japanese garden with a western style garden. A western style stone mansion, reminiscent of those found in the English 田舎いなか・countryside, sits on top of a hill on the north side of the garden overlooking the Japanese garden at the bottom of the hill to the south of it. The slope between the mansion and trees surrounding the Japanese style garden contains a very well kept ばら庭園ばらていえん・rose garden with many different varieties of roses.

At the center of the Japanese garden is a pond stocked with こい・koi fish and turtles. The pond is fed by artificial waterfall. A stone lantern and a 茶室ちゃしつ・teahouse add to the beauty. The rest of the garden is gently sloping hills and wooded areas with stone lantern-lined paths leading throughout. This wonderful blend of ひがし・east and west(西、にし)cannot come recommended highly enough.

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