This park isn’t big, but it’s choice. You could walk around the entire garden in less than an hour, but I guarantee you won’t want to. You’ll be stopping every few feet to snap photos of its bamboo forest, bush clover tunnel, teahouse with a killer view of the pond (complete with stepping stones and manicured islands) and to gaze up at its towering trees.
The Tonogayato Park is only a few steps from Kokubunji Station, but it’s a world away. Tucked into a steep little valley, the stone paths invite you to wander among it grassy knolls dotted with shady maples…
that become clouds of fire, come November.
There is no more spectacular place to see Japanese maples in their autumn glory, casting beautiful shadows on the moss below.
The bamboo forest is especially lovely when the trees around it turn color…
but the wonderful thing about Tonogayato Park is that it’s designed to be a soul-restoring meander, even when everything is green as green can be.
The many winding trails lead to a teahouse-style rest stop…
overlooking the garden’s most iconic view.
The rock-lined pond below features small islands with manicured pines…
that look even more beautiful when framed in orange maple leaves.
Stone steps follow a cascading waterfall down the hill…
so we can take a closer look at this serenely lush oasis.
Bridges and stepping stones invite exploration of the surrounding hillsides, with a brand-new vista around every turn.
Although this park is more designed for contemplative strolling than floral wow, it does have a lovely grove of plum trees that bloom in late February…
and features especially nice rice-straw snow protection on the trees, as fall wends toward winter.
Last, but not least, Tonogayato Park is one of the rare places where we can still walk through a tunnel of bush clover in late September, to experience one of Japan’s historic “seven flowers of autumn” as though we were samurai lords.
Tonogayato Park
Hours: 9:00 – 17:00
Open: Every day
Admission: Adults, ¥150
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“The Samurai’s Octopus is a truly remarkable book, one that surprised and charmed me at every turn of the page…an enchanting, fascinating journey. You’re in for a treat.”
—James Ziskin, Anthony, Barry, and Macavity Award-winning author of the Ellie Stone mysteries
And here are the other places I take my friends when they come to town
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Jonelle Patrick writes novels set in Japan, produces the monthly e-magazine Japanagram, and blogs at Only In Japan and The Tokyo Guide I Wish I’d Had
Jonelle Patrick writes about Japan 