Enjoying Fall Color in Tokyo...At Night!

So far this year, you've come along with me as Little TF and I have gone: lotus-viewing, hydrangea-viewing, chrysanthemum-viewing, iris-viewing, moon-viewing, lucky cat-viewing...basically as many Japanese viewings as possible!  While autumn leaves may be in full blaze on the Kanto Plain right now, the Christmas season has kicked into high gear at the Tofu Fox house. We are getting ready for my in-laws to pay us a visit, holiday parties are crowding our weekends, and, oh yeah!  Mr. TF came home from deployment!  Welcome home, hubby!  WE MISSED YOU.  

Way back in early November, before Mr. TF came home, I heard about the evening autumn displays at one of Tokyo's most famous gardens, Rikugien.  Knowing how insane December would be, I immediately booked a babysitter for a date night and put Rikugien on our calendar.  Even though I love Christmas, Japan's autumn season is stunning and deserving of appropriate appreciation.

Fortunately, Rikugien was our second post-deployment date night, because we got into a fight on our first post-deployment date night.  This is pretty much tradition with us.  "Hi, sweetie!  It's so good to have you home!  Let's go on a hot date and smooch and have all those fights on which we didn't want to waste precious emails and Skype calls!"  So, we did.  At least this time we made it through dinner, first.  Like I said, it's tradition.  

Having gotten that first, post-deployment date night fight out of the way, we were excited to thoroughly enjoy each other's company during a romantic evening at Rikugien!

Rikugien is one of the oldest gardens in Tokyo.  Commissioned by a Tokugawa shogun in 1702, the garden was miraculously spared by WWII bombs.  Its mountain and pond-style design is based on Chinese and Japanese poetry divisions, which somehow relates to the number six, the number which is also inspiration for the garden's name "Riku-".  During the Meiji period, Rikugien was owned by the founder of Mitsubishi, who then donated to the City of Tokyo in 1938.  If someone has a Japanese garden they need to unload, I'm currently accepting donations.

Every autumn, Rikugien hosts a special, night-time illumination.  And, I suspect, a Christmas one as well...I saw many pine trees strung with darkened lights.  The park was filled with strolling crowds, hot food and drink stands, snuggling couples, parents with sleeping babies, and enthusiastic photographers with tripods.  Lots of tripods.

Mr. TF and I, bundled up against the chill, paid our entrance fee, grabbed an English map (we were also offered a French map, which kind of made me happy), and crunched down the dark paths in search of our first illumination.

What a stunning maple tree!

I really wish my photographs did nighttime Rikugien justice.  Around every corner were brilliantly lit maple trees, a sparkling pond complete with perfect reflections on its surface, or a curving bridge with shadows thrown into sharp relief.  In spite of being surrounded by Tokyo, the only noises we heard were the sounds of nature, happy crowds...and clicking cameras.

Imo-yama/Se-yama.  This two hills are located on the large island that floats in the pond's center.  "Imo" and "se" were old Japanese terms for "woman" and "man".  The hills are said to represent Izanagi and Izanami, the brother and sister who create Japan in the country's myth of origins.

Of course, the most proper way to appreciate Rikugien's illuminations is from a tea house.
As Mr. TF is unable to sit on his knees for any length of time, we passed.

We had soup and sake instead.  I finally ate something in Japan that I hate (besides raw sea urchin): O-den. O-den
is filled with squishy things, none of which were identifiable.  The broth, however, was delicious, so I drank that. 

This portion of the garden was filled with hoses that let off steam.  The
steam created a fantastic, ghostly effect.  I could have sat here for hours.

The last part of our stroll brought us to this corner of the pond.  Maple trees nearly touched the pond's surface, created exquisite mirror images in the water's glassy surface.  This was Mr. TF's favorite spot.  

After declaring this second date night a resounding success, we stopped in at the French bakery across the street from Rikugien for dessert, before heading back to the station to catch our train home.  By now, the temperature had really dropped, so we ate our treats rather quickly.  What a delightful evening of autumn leaf viewing with my hubby!  I am so glad to have him home!


Rikugien's autumn illuminations will be available for viewing until December 9.  The garden's hours are extended for this event until 9:00 pm.  The tea houses take their last orders between 7:30 and 8:00 pm.  Wear warm clothes and comfortable shoes!

Access:  Komagome Station on the JR Yamanote Loop.  About 15 minutes from Shinjuku, or 25 minutes from Shibuya. Rikugien is a 5 minute walk from the station.  Check the guide map outside the station for directions, or just head up the hill on the southeast side of the station and then turn south (left) at the first major road.  The entrance to Rikugien is at the first major intersection.


Disclaimer:  I do my best to make sure all my information is accurate.  However, details may change or I may just be flat-out wrong.  Please let me know if something needs a correction.  Thank-you!