Hamarikyu Gardens

Backed by skyscrapers and cloaked in green, Hama Rikyū Teien Garden is a peaceful oasis within Tokyo’s metropolis. Once a Shogun’s villa, where feudal lords hunted ducks in the tidal waterways, the garden was opened to the public in 1948 and features tidal ponds, plum groves, and a peony garden.

We highly recommend stopping for a reviving cup of bitter, whipped green matcha tea at the garden’s traditional Nakajima teahouse, especially if you’ve been up early for the fish markets at nearby Tsukiji.