April 26, 2025
So we’re back in Tokyo (Yokohama) early this morning and my flight is around 6 pm. Didn’t really want to drag my suitcases on an adventure so booked a ship excursion that promised a bit of a tour around Tokyo and then airport drop off early afternoon.
The immigration process was relatively painless before boarding the bus for our four-hour tour! We’re heading to the Imperial Palace for another chance to check it out without rain first.
Next we’re off to Hama-rikyu Gardens for one last look at the Japanese gardens that I have come to love.
Once the gardens of successive Tokugawa shoguns, Hama-rikyu Gardens features a seawater pond whose levels change with the tides, and two kamoba, or duck hunting sites, within the grounds. It originally functioned as a dejiro, or branch castle, of Edo Castle in the Edo Period.
After the Meiji Restoration of 1868, the gardens became a villa for the Imperial family and the name was changed to Hama-rikyu (Hama Detached Palace).
These scenic gardens, once reserved for Imperial use only, were opened to the public in 1946. Today, the gardens are an oasis of natural, green space among the gleaming, high-rise buildings.
Near the entrance is an impressive 300-year-old pine tree very carefully pruned over the centuries into an impressive weeping expanse.
The park has many flower fields which feature vibrant peonies, colza, and cosmos.
The gardens have two duck hunting grounds that were used by the Shogun, and there is a memorial built to commemorate and console the spirits of the ducks that have been caught in the grounds.
The gardens’ central pond, Shioiri-no-ike, is the only remaining seawater pond from the Edo era within Tokyo. Filled with seawater drawn in from Tokyo Bay, the marine life in this pond includes sea bass and black mullet. The gardens’ islands are connected by a 120-meter bridge.
Well it’s time to get back to reality as we get dropped off at the Haneda Airport a couple hours before I can drop off my luggage at the Air Canada counter. Time passes quickly enough as I’m engrossed in my latest book.
After checkin, I wend my way through security, immigration and customs (Oh Joy!) before grabbing a bite, doing some last minute shopping and waiting for my flight. Going to be a long day but I’m headed home so all is right with the world.
That’s a wrap folks. Until the next time …
Judy’s Rambles 