Subscribe to download
Hamarikyu Gardens - Tokyo

Hamarikyu Gardens is a quiet public park located in Chuo ward in the heart of Tokyo. The park is close to the former Tsukiji fish market.

Surrounded by seawater, this 250,000 square meter park was opened to the public in April 1946. The land was the site of a villa belonging to the ruling Tokugawa family in the 17th century.

Prior to becoming a public park, Hamarikyu Gardens had many lives. Aside from being a Shogun villa, it also hosted a unique guest in 1729, in the form of an Elephant. A present from the Annam protectorate (now Vietnam), the elephant lived in the garden grounds for around 12 years. Later the site turned into a training ground for the Tokugawa Navy. In 1867, the shogunate turned the garden back into a villa to host foreign diplomats visiting Edo.

Credit to TokyoStreetView for the original footage.