Friday 7 June 2013

Silence within the City on the Marunouchi Line


EMU Tokyo Metro 02 series stands at Yotsuya Station on the Marunouchi Line
 
Tokyo is a super high density city. More than 30 million people live in this small metropolitan area. It has been expanding above, underground and horizontal for the last 400 years. It is a truly exploding city. Tokyoites are always busy. The city center is full of noise such as cars, promos seeping through speakers, people's chatter and so on. We really need oases of relaxation even in the city center area.

Don't worry, we have some. Along with the outer garden of the Imperial Palace and the garden of the Meiji Shrine, Shinjuku Gyoen is an idealized spot for relaxation. Shinjuku Gyoen is a large garden, which is located in the Shinjuku sub-center area. It was originally a residence of a feudal lord family in the Edo period (1603-1868). Afterwards, it became a garden under the management of the new government. It is now a park under the jurisdiction of the national Ministry of the Environment.

Today, Shinjuku Gyoen is a recreation area for the general public. We can see beautiful gardens such as British, French and Japanese styles. It is a very quiet area even in the center of the bustling city (see the following photo).

To get to this urban oasis, take the subway Marunouchi Line and get off at Shinjuku Gyoen-mae Station. It takes only 5 minutes from Shinjuku to Shinjuku Gyoen-mae Station on the red train, EMU Tokyo Metro 02 series (see the top photo).

Feel the silence within a bustling city.

Japanese style garden in Shinjuku Gyoen near Shinjuku Gyoen-mae Station