Ｔhis is the guide for having fun in Tokyo by cicerone-e
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Are you starting to smell sauce? －Kaisen Monja Kataoka－
Street lined with large buildings - with smell of soy sauce... -Tsukuda-jima-
An intriguing space float on the pond -Hamarikyu Onshi Teien (Garden) -
A Library contains a wealth of information about Asian Culture -The Toyo Bunko (Oriental library)-
Place like a fairyland －Hyappon Shidare - (One hundred cherry trees)
Tama city is dyed in PINK! －Takarano Koen(Park)/Narahara Koen(Park)－
The first cherry blossom viewing ( Ohanami ) of this year at Rikugien
 As you go southwest from Tsukuda Jima, you will see the "Monja" town Tsukishima. "Nishinaka-dori Shotengai" is the main street of Monja town, and from 1st street to the 4th street, there are long lines of Monja restaurants on both sides of the street. After a long time since I have visited Tsukishima last time, there was a huge condominium built in the 1st street.... The landscape of Tsukishima has changed a lot, but in the 1st floor of the huge condominium, there was a central office of tsukishima Monja Association, so that Monja is still kicking and alive in this area.. Nishinaka-Dori Shotengai is surely one of the fun place to visit, but the most attractive part of Tsukishima is narrow pathways extended from main street. The pathway has a width only enough for one person to get through, and it is filled with old down town atmosphere. The narrow pathway arouse curiosity of person like me, who loves small path because it excites me about where this pathway is taking me to, and what is up there. It is always very hard to choose which Monja restraint I should go, because there are so many of them. Should I select one favorite restaurant and go there all the time? or should I try every single one of them?? This time, I went the Monja restaurant called "Kataoka" located behind the main street. After you enjoy Monja (from 550 yen), please try Anzu Maki (Apricot compote roll) Also this restaurant has a unique menu called "Anko maki and chou ice?" (Red bean roll with ice cream puff) which was registered to utility design! But I recommend you to have sweet and sour Anzu Maki, it tastes so good!! Or you can also try simple Anko Maki (Red bean roll)  Kaisen Monja Kataokaaddress： 1－25－9 Tsukishima, Chuo-ku access： 3 min walk from Tokyo Metro Yurakucho line, Tsukishima Station, Exit # 5 open： 5PM-10PM(Weekday）、12AM-10PM （Weekend and holidays）
 There is Tsukiji-Shijo (Tsukiji fish market) on the right of Hamarikyu. You can purchase fresh fish there even if you are not wholesaler. It is almost universal that there is always a good place to eat around market. Tsukiji Shijo becomes very quiet after the wholesale trade ends at noon time. If you would like to see lively market, you should go there in the morning ! As you pass the market, you will see an old-Indian style temple, Tsukiji-Honganji. Next to the Tsukiji Honganji is Tsukijigawa Koen (park). This place used to be a river, but later the park was created out of reclaimed land. That is why there are many place-name with "Hashi"(bridge) around this area. I can not believe both Tsukiji and Ginza used to be an island!. If I have a time machine, I want to see the city of river - Edo(Tokyo). But it was only 40 years ago since these area were redeemed. When you head to Sumida River from Tsukijigawa Koen, you will see Tsukudabashi(bridge) on your left with the Seiroka Saint Lukes Tower standing in the background. From the bridge, you can view an entire Tsukuda Jima surrounded by skyscraper. You will notice the smell of soy sauce and mirin (sweet cooking sake) after you go across the Tsukuda Obashi(bridge). The smell comes from lines of Tsukudani (food boiled in sweetened soy sauce) store. If you want to get Tsukudani, I recommend you to go store called Ten-an. If you can't choose what to try, I suggest you to get an assortment of Tsukudani (1000 yen). It perfectly goes with steamed rice! Sumiyoshi Jinja(shrine) is right next to Ten-an. After you go out from Sumiyoshi Jinja, there is a red bridge called Tsukuda Kobashi. After you cross the bridge, and go into a close pathway, there is Tsukuda Tendai Jizouson ( a place to enshrine guardian deity of children) and a huge ginko tree. Please visit this place when you come to Tsukuda Jima. Around Sumiyoshi Jinja area is full of old downtown atmosphere. And anyplace you look over, there are always tall buildings in your view. Tsukuda Jima had escaped earthquake disaster, and damages of WW2. Can Tsukuda-Jima escape tide of modernization??  Tokyo Central Wholesaler MarketTsukiji Shijo ( Tsukiji Fish Market) address：5-2-1 Tsukiji, Chuo-ku access：1min walk from Toei Oedo Line, Tsukiji-Shijo Station close：Sunday, and National Holidays Tsukiji Hongan-ji address：3-15-1 Tsukiji, Chuo-ku access：1 min walk from Subway Hibiya Line, Tsukiji Station open：6AM-4PM Ten-anaddress：1-3-14 Tsukuda, Chuo-ku access：5 min walk from Toei Oedo line or Subway Yurakucho Line, Tsukishima Station Exit No. 6 open：9AM-6PM
 After Cherry blossom season is over, let's go outside to view rape blossoms! I found from e-style75's blog that Hamarikyu Onshi Teien also does illumination at night, so I decided to visit there. Hamarikyu Onshi Teien was built on landfill, and it is the only garden with a tidal pond in Tokyo metropolitan area. By utilizing the come and go of the tide, the garden sluices seawater into the pond - and gobies and eels are living there. Like Rikugien I introduced before, Hamarikyu Onshi Teien is one of the gardens run by Tokyo metropolitan government, and it is also very popular cherry blossom viewing spot. After you enter the garden, right on your left side, there is "Ohana Batake"(flower garden) with carpet of rape blossoms. You will be surrounded by the masses of rape blossoms! It takes about 2 hours to go around this huge garden. While you are taking a walk, you will find many Tokyo seeing spots such as Tokyo tower, Rainbow bridge. Even if you don't feel like going all the way around the garden, don't miss "Shioiri no ike (tidal pond) "located on the south of the garden. You can also tastes Japanese green tea with little Japanese sweets (500 yen) at "Nakajima no Ochaya (tea room)" located at the end of "Otetsudai Bashi (bridge) " This is the bridge with 118 meters in length! The sharp contrast between skyscrapers and the garden on the huge pond is very intriguing. Illumination at night had ended already, but you can still see the carpet of rape blossoms.  Hamarikyu Onshi Teienaddress：1-1, Hamarikyu Teien, Chuo-ku access：7 min walk from Tsukiji Shijo Station (E18) and Shiodome Station(E19) on the Oedo Line, or Shiodome Station on Yurikamome Line/15 min from Shinbashi Station(G08/A10) on the JR Line, Subway Ginza Line, and Subway Asakusa Line/Water bus (From Hinode Sanbashi to Asakusa) open：9ＡＭ-5ＰＭ（Entrance close at 4：30ＰＭ） close：The year-end through new year holidays (Dec. 29th - Jan 1st next year ) admission ：General&Junior High students:300yen/65 years old and lder:150yen
 The Toyo Bunko is located right next to Rikugien. The Toyo Bunko is the largest library as well as the research institute of Asian history and culture in Asian region. The Toyo Bunko was established in 1917, and the classical building itself is also very nice. This library was opened when former third president of the Mitsubishi enterprise group, Mr. Hisaya Iwasaki purchased the book stocks of Australian Mr. George Ernest Morrion （1862-1920）, a former political advisor to the Office of the President of the Republic of China. Mr. Morison had an enormous collection of documents about China written in European languages. I guess he must have been a hard worker ! After the name of Japanese era was changed from Taisho to Showa, a branch division of National Diet Library was built right next to the Toyo Bunko. There are total 88,000 books mainly from Morrison collection. The books are written in various languages, including Tibetan, Thai, Arabic, Persian, Turkish, etc.. You can also see valuable historical data such as the correspondence between Lafcadio Hearn and Chamberlain, and Marco Polo's Description of the World. This place is like a goldmine for the historians specialized in Asian history. In the general rule, the library requires a letter of introduction to see the books, but if you show your ID, you will be allowed to view the books. You can also easily search documents from the online search system through internet. Even for those of you who are not Asian history experts, I recommend you to go there to enjoy deep Asian world!!  The Toyo Bunkoaddress：2-28-21 Hon Komagome, Bunkyo-ku access：8 min walk from Komagome Station on JR Yamanote Line or Subway Nanboku Line open：9ＡＭ-4：30ＰＭ（12ＰＭ-12：30ＰＭ Lunch break, request for documents close at 4PM) close：Sat, Sun, National Holiday Admission : Free
 I introduced Tama-Center area yesterday, and if you think you still have a lot of energy left, and if you feel like walking around more, you should walk down to Karakida Station on Odakyu Line (one station away from Tama Center station.) When you start to see Tsurumaki Nishi Koen (Park), Karakida is almost there. In Tsurumaki Nishi Koen , as asuka is introducing it in her blog, there is a must-see spot: Tama city's natural monument " Kawai family's Shidare-Zakura". But it is a personal residence, you should keep a respectful distance when you viewing it. In Karakida, there is a walking trail called "Karakida-no-Michi". The direction to the entrance of the walking trail from Tsurumaki Nishi Koen is as follow : Cross the road and go over Karakida station, and make your way through between railroad and condominium building. When you almost pass over the condominium, there is an entrance of the walking trail. (Upper middle of the picture)  From the entrance, you can just follow the route. (Pink line on the map). You will pass "Miharashi-hiroba (scenic place) ", and "Ohanami Hiroba (Cherry blossom viewing place) " where you can see beautiful cherry blossom. And what is waiting for at goal is .... 100 cherry trees! The area is filled with cherry blossom's sweet smell, and it makes me haze over a little and I thought that fairyland could be the place like this. When you visit this spot, I suggest you to wear comfortable shoes, because you will walk around unpaved walkway. You don't have to cover every spot, you can start to walk from any places. Of course, you can just go there to see 100 cherry trees too. Just one question in my mind. Are there exactly 100 cherry trees?  Kawai Family's Shidare-Zakura address：2-22 Tsurumaki, Tama-shi Karakida Hyappon Shidare address：35-1 Karakida
 There are a lots of Ohanami (Cherry blossom viewing ) spots in the area around Tama-Center station (Keio line, Odakyu line). I don't think I can introduce every single Ohanami spot, so let me introduce some of them where you can go there by walking. After you go out from the West exit of Tama-Center station, move down the stairs in front of you, and turn right. Go down only several meters, then you will see a street lined with cherry trees along Koｔｔa river, which runs parallel to railroad ( left on the icture). Surprisingly, this street with lined cherry blossom leads to Nagayama station, the next station toTama-Center station. If you just keep on walking on the street, you can only see a row of cherry trees, so after you take a walk for a while, let's make an u-turn and go back to the Tama Center . After you return to Tama-Center station, walk down "Parthenon avenue " which is famous for beautiful illumination in winter period, and head to "Parthenon Tama". " Parthenon Tama"is a cultural institution which has some large and small theaters. Behind the building, there is " Tama Chuo Koen (Park) ", a large park with a big pond and vast lawn. There are some interesting spots in the park. " Green Live Center " is a small botanic garden, and there is also an exhibition of the removed and constructed old Japanese style house and garden - used to be owned by Tomizawa family, who was one of the Japan's old noble family. Going through Tama Chuo Koen, then you go to residential area from the side of a welfare and pension institution " Wel Sunpia Tama". The residential area is designed in European-style. Please enjoy the cityscape while you are exploring the area. (Upper right of the picture) After you go down the residential area toward south, you will see a playground on your right side. And there is "Takarano Koen(Park) " down the road (lower left of the picture). You will be surprised to see that the park is filled with cherry blossoms. The lawn in the center of the park is surrounded by cherry trees, and there is also a pathway lined with cherry trees - that creates" Cherry Blossom Tunnel ". Takarano Koen is connected to "Narahara Koen (Park) " with a bridge, and the Cherry Blossom Tunnel continues even further than the end of Narahara Koen. Cherry blossom season is going to continue, but unfortunately, recently we often have bad weather. But you can also enjoy walking around these spots in other seasons. There is also "Tsurumaki Higashi koen(Park)" on the north of Naranaha Koen, and "Tsurumaki Nishi Koen(Park)", and Tama Chuo Koen on the west. Enjoy a nice walk in nature!  Takarano Koen(Park) address： 5 Ochiai, Tama-shi Narahara Koen(Park) address：4 Tsurumaki, Tama-shi Both have restrooms and free parking (not very large). There is also a pay parking at Wel Sunpia: Parking will be free by using facilities in Wel Sunpia including hot spring. It is also nice to soak in a hot springs after you enjoy walking.
 This winter, it took a while to get cold in Tokyo. But once it became cold,it seems the bitter coldness continues forever. Even so, the temperature starts slowly getting warm, and the sign of springhas started to be seen here and there. "Ohanami" is one of the major recreation activity of Spring. For those of you who cannot wait Someiyoshino blossom, try to visit Rikugien Park in Komagome Tokyo. You can view great Shidare-Sakura at this spot before Someiyoshino begins to bloom. Rikugien is famous for its artificial low hill and large pond. It is great to visit Rikugien in daytime, but moreover, I highly recommend you to visit there at night time when it is brightly lit. You can take a walk around the park until 9:00 pm in the cherry blossom season in spring, and the clored leaf season in autumn. The mood of Rikugien at night is very different ｆrom the one in daytime, and it is one of the best dating spot for couples. There are some little teahouses in the park, and you can taste Japanese style sweets while you are viewing cherry blossom. The park was scheduled to open for Ohanami until March 27th at first, but since cherry blossom was late in blooming this year, the park won’t close until April 3rd. Today, the cherry blossom has not been fully bloomed, but I think it will be all out by this weekend. Please go visit Rikugien for Ohanami and have a fun!  Rikugi-en (Japanese) open： 9AM-5PM 9AM-9PM (during event )(Last admission 8：30PM) access：7 min walk from Komagome Station (JR Yamanote Line or Subway Nanboku line) or,10 min walk from Sengoku station (Subway Mita line) Admission Fee: general admission: 300 yen/person
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