Mukojima Haykkaen Garden

Tokyo's only remaining Edo Period flower garden

On a warm autumn afternoon, Hyakkaen, "the garden of 100 flowers blooming throughout the year" was a cozy but spectacular space to enjoy the late summer and early autumn blooms. The modern backdrop features Tokyo Sky Tree framed by trees, garden fixtures and water. The garden began when an antiques merchant brought together cultured people, writers and artists, to plant plum trees and flowers mentioned in the classic collection of waka and tanka poetry, Manyoshu. The garden suffered calamities such as floods and air raids in war time, but has endured. Today, it's a great photography spot, just as it was a place of inspiration for painters and poets of the Edo Period. For access, see http://teien.tokyo-park.or.jp/en/mukojima/index.html