Can you navigate Tokyo by subway and train? Let’s find out today and you take charge of the group, leading us into the city on this beautiful Saturday. It will be crowded and busy in every location and it’s worth the time and effort as we find our way to Shinjuku Gyoen, a city park and gardens.
The area that is Shinjuku Gardens was originally the home to Naito family gifted by the Shogun in the 18th century. Lord Naito was the daimyo of the community of Tsuruga. The gardens were, eventually, supported by the government under the Meiji period and by 1906 the structure and design of the gardens was completed. Destroyed during air raids in World War II, the gardens were rebuilt and created as a National Park in 1949.
The garden melds French, English, and Japanese styles into about 144 acres. The historical and cultural importance of the garden is displayed in buildings constructed after WWII and harken back to the Edo period architectural design.
After our time in the park, we’ll grab lunch and then head over to Teamlab, an experiential art exhibition. From there we’ll finish our day at Odaiba, an island in the Tokyo harbor. You can find out the origins of Anime, wander the various shops and museums, and sit along the waterfront as the sun goes down and the bridge across the harbor lights up at night!
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