Showa Kinen Park
Grassy fields and water fountains, sports courts, gardens of seasonal flowers and trees to enjoy and pond shore vegetation to be appreciated are dotted throughout this park, roughly the size of 40 Tokyo Domes.
No wonder it's such a famous spot for flower viewing! I thought it was mainly known for autumn leaves, but I was surprised to see so many beautiful flowers in May, too. 🌺🌺🌺
The park is huge—half a day isn't enough. If you're coming, plan to spend the whole day!
Nihon Minka-en, Kawasaki Municipal Japan Outdoor Folk House Museum
Opened in 1967, Kawasaki City is an outdoor museum that represents ancient Japanese homes. Twenty-five buildings, including private houses from the Edo period, have been relocated here and displayed, all designated as Japanese cultural heritage.
This place is pretty interesting. You can see how people lived in different eras. Some houses were built with local materials, others used recycled stuff. It actually feels a lot like the eco-friendly lifestyle we try to follow today.
Saka no Ue no Kumo Museum
Saka no Ue no Kumo, or “Clouds Over the Slope”, is a best-selling historical novel by the prominent novelist Ryotaro Shiba. The novel is focused on three main characters from Matsuyama City; Yoshifuru Akiyama, his brother Saneyuki Akiyama, and their poet friend, Shiki Masaoka. The museum was built around the theme of this novel.
I'm a huge fan of Tadao Ando's concrete architecture, so I made a special trip just to see this masterpiece.
Ameyoko Shopping Street
The Ameyoko Shopping Street, affectionately known as "Ameyoko," stretches approximately 500m between JR Ueno Station and JR Okachimachi Station, with around 400 shops lining the street. It features a variety of businesses, including food and confectionery, clothing, general goods, and jewelry stores.
It's kind of like the Fengjia Night Market in Taichung. Really fun to walk around and shop here.