Senzokuike Park - Ota ward
The purpose of this post is to document our experience and hopefully provide useful information to others. Enjoy!
A serene and historical park within the busy city of Tokyo. It features a natural pond that flows to the Nogawa river where you can rent a paddleboat or a swan boat. It boasts of a historical temple and a shrine. Added to its charm are the Sakura trees during Spring and hydrangeas during Summer.
A HIDDEN GEM
We live 2.1km away from this park so we thought, no biggie! We can walk all the way there. And so we did.
The first area we stumbled upon is the hills where the Sakura trees are. We were not impressed. Obviously, because it wasn't Spring and it was dark.
 |
| This is on top of a hill. There are Cherry trees all around and will be packed with people having a picnic. |
We thought we walked some more as we got attracted to hydrangeas along a path beside a canal.
 |
| Hydrangea full bloom May to July |
At the end of the path, we entered the park. We saw that there was a pond and beyond that was the busy night road of Ota-ku! We couldn't indulge at the moment, because a lawyer from India heard Lucas spoke English. I find that it is easier to make friends with foreigners here. I met a good friend in the playground from Ethiopia within our first month here.
 |
| Lucas sat by a bench and savored the moment not knowing that Kois was right by that water. |
We talked to the lawyer for a while and then proceeded to walk a bit more. To our surprise, we stumbled upon a magnificent little red shrine!
We came back on June 23, three days after we went to Rinshinomori Park.
It was a hot sunny day when we walked to get there. And then, we were amazed!
 |
| Going up to the picnic area - nice during Sakura season or Autumn |
The Kois are within reach. The pigeons are also not shy to approach you.
 |
| Japanese Kois within reach and a lot more around the area |
 |
| A large horse statue to commemorate the horse that accompanied a 12th-century warlord |
 |
| The name of the park came from the Chinese characters Sen "thousand" and Grass "zoku |
 |
| The red Torii gate marks the entrance to Senzoku Hachiman Shrine |
 |
| The founder of the Nichiren school of Buddhism was said to have washed his feet here in the 13th century. |
 |
| A beautiful arched bridge called Ikezuki Bridge |
 |
| Perspective from the side to see the arched bridge and Torii gate |
And the shrine we saw the first night we went here?
 |
| Isn't this a sight to behold? |
 |
| The shrine of Benzaiten, a water goddess of literature and music, wealth, and femininity. |
When we finally settled down with our excitement. We sat by one of the many benches surrounding the pond to relax for a bit.
This is around 30 minutes by train from Shibuya station. Maybe you can drop by when you visit? 😉
We promised to come back to rent a swan boat. And maybe a couple of times more just to be in touch with nature. 🥰 However, as of this writing, the number of people tested positive for coronavirus in Tokyo reached 3 digits again.
For now, we can bike around just to get out of the house.
|RELATED ARTICLE: Buying a Bicycle in Japan - My First Mamachari
🗾 2-chōme-14-5 Minamisenzoku, Ota City, Tōkyō-to 145-0063, Japan
⛺ Size: largest park in the city of Ota
🌳 Sakura, Japanese red pine, Japanese black pine, Sudazi, Ginkgo, zelkova, maple
👉Official website: http://www.city.ota.tokyo.jp/shisetsu/park/senzokuike.html
ACTIVITIES FOR YOUNG KIDS
- Playground
- Swan boat ride
- Koi viewing
- Take photos (like what Lucas did)
 |
| I gave him my old Canon camera so he was excited to take photos |
ACTIVITIES FOR FAMILY OR GROUPS
- Paddleboat
- Picnic
 |
| Swan boat is at 800 yen per minute. There is also a paddleboat for only 400 yen per minute and will allow you to pass through under the red shrine's bridge. |
FOR RELAXATION
- Sit at the many benches surrounding the pond
- Stroll around the pond
- Watch the birds and the fish
FITNESS AND SPORTS
- Jogging/running/walking
 |
| This is on the other side where you can stroll along the long board walk. |
 |
| If you'd like to jog, you can take this paved pathway. |
ANNUAL CALENDAR (Best time to visit - see Official website for changes)
- Sakura - March to April
- Autumn - October to November
Some notable features:
- Bicycles are not allowed inside. There is a parking area on the main road entrance.
- There is a big library beside it and migratory animals can be seen during the winter season
- Pets are allowed
Youtube video coming up very soon - Subscribe to YT/chasingfatima
0 comments
Including a link to relevant content is permitted, but comments should be relevant to the post topic. Comments including profanity will be deleted. Comments containing language or concepts that could be deemed offensive will be deleted.