Hamarikyu Gardens: The Shogun’s Park
Hamarikyu Gardens is a fantastic park. Photographers love it because there is so much to shoot. Contrasting views and seasonal delights await your camera. And you’ll do it on a Shogun’s hunting ground. Isn’t that cool? Let’s explore it!
The park is “almost” in Tokyo’s center. It’s near Shinbashi station. Next door is the Shiodome area, famous for its skyscrapers. You can get excellent pictures of them from a couple of spots in the park (e.g., Fujimi Hill). Concrete and glass towers soar up over the trees and ponds. The contrast is beautiful.
You can also explore Hamarikyu’s winding tree-lined and spacious lawns. Do you want to stroll across classic Japanese-style bridges over ponds? That’s no problem. There is also a disused shrine on the grounds. The photo opportunities are almost endless.
If you’ve ever wanted to drink Japanese tea on an island in the middle of a lake, you can do that too! Take a break at the Nakajima-no-ochaya tea house. Have a cup of matcha with a Manju (for 510 yen), sit back, and enjoy the view. Many people take pictures from the walkways. They are picturesque, especially with nearby skyscrapers!
There is one thing I love about Hamarikyu Gardens. It draws water straight from Tokyo Bay through sluice gates. This allows the appearance of the ponds to change when the tides fall or rise. It is something different. And it has turtles, carp, and birds.
For photographers, there is a lot. The big ones are:
- A big field of flowers, near the main entrance.
- Cherry and plum blossoms in spring
- You can see Tokyo Tower from several places!
- Walk down to the water for Rainbow Bridge.
Hamarikyu is fabulous, and it has something unique. There are ponds that the shoguns used for duck hunting! They are Shinsenza Kamoba and Koshindo Kamoba.
Koshindo, in the park’s center, still has some of the blinds that hid the hunters. It is the only place in Japan that has them. Ducks aren’t hunted there anymore, but hawking displays happen on the grounds in early January.
A Brief History of Hamarikyu Gardens
Tsunashige Tokugawa was the daimyo of Kofun domain and the brother of Shogun Ietsuna. He needed an Edo residence for when he needed to serve in Edo (as a part of the Sankin Kotai system). Where was it?
You have probably guessed already. It was on the site of Hamarikyu Gardens! But there was a problem in the beginning. It was underwater because it was in Tokyo Bay! So Tsunashige reclaimed it and built his house. Upon his death, it passed to his son, Ienobu, Japan’s sixth shogun. The property stayed in the family’s hands until the end of the shogunate in 1868.
The Imperial Family gained ownership and named it Hama Detached Palace in 1868. In the early to mid-twentieth century it met hardship. The Kanto Earthquake of 1923 and WW2 bombings devastated it. Finally, the Metropolitan Government took it over and opened it to the public in 1946.
Why do photographers like Hamarikyu Garden?
The gardens have so many great things for your camera. Here is a partial list:
- Autumn with its wonderful leaves
- Birds
- Flowers (Rapeseed, cherry and plum blossoms)
- Hawking
- a 300 hundred-year-old tree
- Rainbow bridge
- Skyscrapers serve as a backdrop
- Tokyo Tower.
Photography tips
- No tripods allowed.
- If you go in the afternoon, Tokyo Tower will be backlit. In the morning, the sun will light it from the front.
- The best time is spring (cherry blossoms) and autumn (the leaves!).
- Beware of the crowds at hawking displays!
Where are Hamarikyu Gardens?
Address: 1-1 Hamarikyuteien, Chuo City, Tokyo
Here it is on a Google map:
Closest train stations:
- Shiodome on the Yurikamome Line
- Shinbashi with various JR (including the Yamanote) and Metro lines.
Opening hours
- 9 am to 5 pm (with last admission at 4:30 pm)
- It is closed from December 29th to January 1st.
Entry fees:
¥300
English-guided tours
- Mondays at 10:30 AM
- Saturdays at 11 AM
Conclusion
Hamarikyu Gardens is one of the best parks in the city, if not the best. An audio guide from the ticket office is available to help you learn more about its history. These free devices are easy to use and GPS-controlled. You only need to wear them. The commentary starts when you walk within a certain distance of a point of interest. I highly recommend them, and history lovers should borrow one.
Photographers should be delighted with bridges, flowers, skyscrapers, history, and a tower! Each season there offers something different. Hamarikyu is the complete park. Many visitors will surely fall in love with it. Leave questions and comments below.

Rohan Gillett
Rohan has lived in Tokyo for 30+ years. He loves photography and okonomiyaki. His camera will capture the entire city one day.
To see more park articles, look at these:
External related websites:
- Hama Rikyu Gardens (official website)
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