Visiting the Mejiro Garden
Mejiro Garden is a very small garden in Tokyo’s Toshima ward. It opened in 1990 and is only about 2,900 square metres big.
The central feature is a pond with koi carps and a waterfall.
We had our office only a 10-minute walk away from this garden for years, and I often visited it, learning to see its beauty in every season.
The Garden
You are entering the garden through a big Kirizuma-style roofed gate.
Don’t be confused by the small box office to your right. The garden is free to enter, but you can buy tea or plants there.
The route leads you to the right side, and I really love so many features coming up your path!
First you may notice is the hexagon pavilion hovering over the pond. I am sitting there right now, writing this text, because one of those heavy summer rains “surprised” me.
I get a notification on my smartphone when rain clouds with the potential for heavy rain approach, so I was warned, but it is still a bit inconvenient for my plans for the day.
But at least you get to read this text now because of Tokyo’s unpredictable summer weather.
The rock settings around the pond and the waterfall are very expressive. Most of the rocks are large and upright, not giving a soothing and gentle atmosphere from scratch like many of the bigger pond-strolling gardens from the Edo period.
But still, when sitting in the hexagonal pavilion, listening to the heavy rain falling on the roof and into the pond, you find something calming here.
Look at the pine tree on the right side of the pond, for example, floating over the boat stone. Or the lush green of the Japanese maple trees. The moss-covered garden in front of the tea house (only for private rentals) gives this feeling too.
Even though the Mejiro garden is small, it is still a small oasis in this huge city and very important for the recreation of the residents.
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With twelve years of professional landscaping experience under her belt, Anika Ogusu is your perfect guide to the world of Japanese gardens. Her love of nature began early, in the woods near her childhood home and the garden of her grandmother’s house. During her teenage years she developed a strong interest in Japanese culture, and after university she decided to combine her love of Japan and gardens into a profession. Anika started her career as chief gardener in charge of the perennial valley at the Botanical Garden in Hamburg, Germany, then moved to Tokyo in pursuit of her dream. For two years she apprenticed under local landscape designers and learned the art of Japanese garden design, construction and maintenance. Now, in partnership with Real Japanese Gardens (www.japanesegardens.jp), her wish is to spread the magic of Japanese gardens to the rest of the world. Her in-depth guide books on gardens throughout Japan are available in eBook format or paperback. In her free time, Anika enjoys exploring her adopted country (especially green moss gardens), and soaking up nature and any details that interest her.
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With twelve years of professional landscaping experience under her belt, Anika Ogusu is your perfect guide to the world of Japanese gardens. Her love of nature began early, in the woods near her childhood home and the garden of her grandmother’s house. During her teenage years she developed a strong interest in Japanese culture, and after university she decided to combine her love of Japan and gardens into a profession. Anika started her career as chief gardener in charge of the perennial valley at the Botanical Garden in Hamburg, Germany, then moved to Tokyo in pursuit of her dream. For two years she apprenticed under local landscape designers and learned the art of Japanese garden design, construction and maintenance. Now, in partnership with Real Japanese Gardens (www.japanesegardens.jp), her wish is to spread the magic of Japanese gardens to the rest of the world. Her in-depth guide books on gardens throughout Japan are available in eBook format or paperback. In her free time, Anika enjoys exploring her adopted country (especially green moss gardens), and soaking up nature and any details that interest her.
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