Water parks around Tokyo

Summer is here and what could be the best way to cool off the summer heat than to  go swimming and enjoy the water. Fortunately, Tokyo offers abundant water parks where family and friends can go for a refreshingly cool getaways. Here are some of the water parks accessible from central Tokyo:

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Sakura 2016: Revisiting Koganei Park

Visit Date: 04/06/2016 (Best Time: early to mid April)

Koganei Park (小金井公園) with about 1,700 cherry trees planted around it is considered as one of the best Sakura Spots in Japan. The park is located in the western suburbs of Tokyo which is about 60-minutes away from Tokyo station.

The cherry blossoms in the park are already in full bloom, with some especially those that are located near the west entrance of the park are already past their peak with leaves already sprouting but are still beautiful to see.

Koganei_Park_01

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Sakura 2016: Showa Kinen Park

Visit Date: 03/31/2016 (Best Time: early to mid April)

Showa Kinen Park is located at the western suburbs of Tokyo, just about 60 minutes away from Tokyo station. The 163 hectares park located in Tachikawa used to be a Japanese military airbase and part of the airfield was established as a national park in 1983 as part of a project to commemorate the emperor’s Golden Jubilee.

The park has about 1,500 cherry trees located in 2 areas: one is in the Flower Tree Garden which is located to the east of Waterfowl Lake near the Nishi-Tachikawa Gate and the other is to the west of “Open Field”. The latter is the best spot for hanami parties.

Showa_Kinen_Park_01 The cherry trees create a wonderful canopy conducive for picnic and other activities.

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Sakura 2016: Shinjuku Gyoen

Visit Date: 03/30/2016 (Best Time: early to mid April)

Shinjuku Gyoen (新宿御苑) being located in central Tokyo, just about 1.5 kilometers or a short 20 minutes walk from Shinjuku Station, is one of the most popular parks in Tokyo.

The park has more than 1,500 cherry trees of more than 12 varieties which starts blooming from late March to late April or sometimes even until early May. With its long cherry blossom season, the park is also indeed one of Tokyo’s favorite and best cherry blossom spot in Japan.

Shinjuku_Gyoen_01 The blooming sakura trees adds colors to the various trees around the pond.

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