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| The English Landscape Garden at Shinjuku Gyoen |
So, we also went to Shinjuku Gyoen (新宿御苑) during our autumn Tokyo trip, a sort of momijigari + geek combination.
Shinjuku Gyoen is representative of modern Western style gardens in the Meiji era. Completed in 1906, it was formerly an Imperial park, like Kyoto Gyoen and Kōkyo Gaien, until it was made a public national park in 1949. (The Imperial Palace East Gardens were made public in 1968.)
The history of Shinjuku Gyoen dates back to the Edo era, under the Tokugawa shogunate. The site of Shinjuku Gyoen was originally bequeathed to Naitō Kiyonari (内藤清成; 1555-1608), by Tokugawa Ieyasu in 1590. Kiyonari was the vassal of Ieyasu, and later the mentor of Tokugawa Hidetada, Ieyasu's son and the 2nd Tokugawa shogun. From 1968, the heads of the Naitō clan became daimyō of the Takatō Domain.
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| The English Landscape Garden at Shinjuku Gyoen |
In fact, the land that Shinjuku Gyoen sits on was only part of the large portion of land that Ieyasu bequeathed to Kiyonari - of the land he bequeathed, most of it spanned present-day Yotsuya to Yoyogi, and included Shinjuku. Much of the land was later returned to the shogunate in part due to the kokudaka system and over time, the Shinjuku ward was created - much of this has been well explained by Japan's Ministry of Environment and Japan This!.
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| English Landscape Garden at Shinjuku Gyoen[] |
But the site of Shinjuku Gyoen remained with the Naitō clan, and the area became the private residence (下屋敷; shimoyashiki) of the Naitō clan. On the site, the Naitō clan created a spacious garden, named Tamagawa-en (玉川園). Apparently the Tamamo Pond (玉藻池), located near the Okido Rest House, is the only surviving site of the original garden held by the Naitō clan.
Subsequently, the Meiji government purchased part of the Naitō family's estate and adjacent area to create the "Naitō Shinjuku Experimental Farm", launched to promote modern agriculture. The farm was renamed "Shinjuku Botanical Garden" when it came under the jurisdiction of the Imperial Household Agency. The garden was later reorganised in 1906 as an Imperial Garden, designed by French landscape gardener Henri Martinet based on a concept by Japanese agricultural scientist / agronomist Hayato Fukuba (福羽逸人; 1856-1921). Finally, as mentioned, it became a public national park in 1949.
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| Me shooting Elizabeth Rose at Shinjuku Gyoen |
I confess we were relatively single-minded in our exploration of the park - it was either take photos of Elizabeth, or search out Garden of Words locations. I don't think I did this beautiful park much justice.
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| NTT Docomo Yoyogi Building | Kyo Goryotei (Taiwan Pavilion) |
One of the spots we passed through as a result of our single-minded focus was the Kyu Goryotei (旧御涼亭), also called the Taiwan Pavilion (台湾閣). The autumn foliage there was quite awesome, with a mix of golden yellows and reds.
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| Kyu Goryotei at Shinjuku Gyoen |
The Kyu-Goryotei (旧御涼亭) makes a great spot for photo-taking. The Kyu-Goryotei was built in 1928 to commemorate the wedding of the Emperor Shōwa (昭和天皇; reigned 1926-1989). It was built in the architectural style developed in the southern Fujian Province.
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| Japanese Traditional Garden, Shinjuku Gyoen |
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| Autumn foliage at the Japanese Traditional Garde, Shinjuku Gyoen |
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| View of the NTT Docomo Yoyogi Building, Shinjuku Gyoen |
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| Kobuku-zakura, Shinjuku Gyoen |
As we headed back, we passed a few trees that looked to me like sakura trees in bloom. Of course, I thought, it was not possible for sakura to be blooming in autumn. But I decided to get closer to investigate. And guess what? They were sakura trees!
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| Kobuku-zakura, Shinjuku Gyoen |
So I read the information plaque at the base of the trees, which labelled one one of the varietals as the Cerasus 'Kobuku-zakura' Ohwi (小福桜). I later read up and learnt that the kobuku-zakura is a cherry that blooms twice a year (spring and autumn/winter). Its name means "cherry blessed with many children" because each blossom has 7-8 pistils and produces 1-3 berries.
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| Jugatsu-zakura, Shinjuku Gyoen |
Not too far away was another - the information plaque labelled it as Cerasus x subhirtella 'Autumnalis' Makina, or the Jugatsu-zakura (十月桜; literally "October cherry"). I couldn't find much information on the jugatsu-zakura, except that it blooms in autumn and winter, and has small and sparse flowers.
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| Jugatsu-zakura, Shinjuku Gyoen |
Both cherries don't bloom as spectacularly as the spring cherries. But I'm not going to diss them, after all, the Somei Yoshino's cloud-like beauty is hard to beat. These winter cherries were still quite pretty. It was rather tough to take decent photos as the light was fading fast, so I only managed to take a few shots....
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| Camellias at a pathway to Shinjuku Gyoen |
o finally, as mentioned, we wanted to find some of the locations in Shinkai Makoto's Garden of Words (言の葉の庭). Unfortunately, we didn't spot as many. It was rather impromptu and we didn't actually specifically mark out the spots.
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| Screenshot from Shinkai Makoto's Kotonoha no Niwa (The Garden of Words). Source/copyright: Shinkai Makoto/CoMix Wave Films. |
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| English Landscape Garden at Shinjuku Gyoen |
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| Another part of the English Landscape Garden at Shinjuku Gyoen |
Okay, that scene clearly comes from the English Landscape Garden, but I can't tell which exact part of the garden. (See Mike Hattsu of Anime Journeys.)
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| Screenshot from Shinkai Makoto's Kotonoha no Niwa (The Garden of Words). Source/copyright: Shinkai Makoto/CoMix Wave Films. |
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| The real life spot in Shinjuku Gyoen. |
It was here where Yukino and Akizuki first meet, and where Yukino cryptically recites a tanka as she leaves - from the Man'yōshū, Book 11, verse 2,513:
| narukamino sukoshi toyomite | A faint clap of thunder |
| sashikumori | Clouded skies |
| ame mo furanu ka | Perhaps rain will come |
| kimi o todome mu | If so, will you stay with me? |
Probably missing a few real-life details like the small stone pillar, but hey whatever right?
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| Screenshot from Shinkai Makoto's Kotonoha no Niwa (The Garden of Words). Source/copyright: Shinkai Makoto/CoMix Wave Films. |
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| The real life view of the Japanese Traditional Garden from the Kyu Goryotei |
I unwittingly took this - because I didn't remember that there had been a scene in Garden of Words of the view from the Kyu Goryotei.
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| Screenshot from Shinkai Makoto's Kotonoha no Niwa (The Garden of Words). Source/copyright: Shinkai Makoto/CoMix Wave Films. |
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| The real life view of the Kyu Goryotei |
Of course, the Kyu Goryotei was the other spot that featured prominently in The Garden of Words. It is under that wisteria arbor that Akizuki quoted the tanka from the Man'yōshū, Book 11, verse 2,514, in response to the one that Yukino quoted earlier:
| narukamino sukoshi toyomite | A faint clap of thunder |
| furazutomo | Even if rain comes not |
| ware ha tomaramu | I will stay here |
| imoshi todomeba | together with you |
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| A bed of pansies at Shinjuku Gyoen |
Anyway, Shinjuku Gyoen is a large and beautiful park - a mix of Western and Japanese features, and definitely another oasis worth another visit. Our one, single-minded visit does not do it justice. I am especially keen to see the sakura grove in bloom - the park is said to have around 1,500 trees of different sakura varieties. So perhaps next trip...
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More on Elizabeth's Japanese Autumn, November 2016
- I. Yokohama & the Miho Museum - Chinatown Heichinrou, Yokohama Mazu Temple) ● Yamashita Park ● Zou-no-Hana ● Osanbashi Pier ● Yokohama Red Brick Warehouses ● Miho Museum
- II. Kyoto - Tofukuji ● Kiyomizudera ● Sohonzan Komyoji ● Eikando Zenrinji ● Manshuin Monzeki ● Iwakura Jissoin Monzeki ● Nanzenji, Nanzenin & Tenjuan ● Kitano Tenmangu ● Shugakuin Imperial Villa ● Sento Imperial Palace ● Kyoto Imperial Palace
- III. Tokyo - Tokyo University ● Rikugien ● Tokyo Imperial Palace & the East Gardens ● Kotonoha no Niwa trip to at Shinjuku Gyoen ● Italian at Salvatore Cuomo Bros., XEX Tokyo ● Sushi Masuda ● Nishiazabu Taku (aka Sushi Taku) ● Sushi Nakamura (1st taste of Juyondai) ● Sushi Tokami (1st taste of tossaki) ● molecular gastronomy at Tapas Molecular Bar ● French-Japanese at La Paix, Nihonbashi
- IV: Fuji Five Lakes - Part 1 (Bessho Sasa, revisited) ● Part 2 (Fuji Subaru 5th Station, Motosuko & Koyodai) ● Part 3 (Fujisansaku Park, Motosuko, Shojiko, Saiko, Kawaguchiko)
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