Tokyo Blue Garden

Heading to the Tokyo Blue Garden in Happo-en. This is one of the last illumination festivals in the city of Tokyo, ending on January 31.

Happo-en is unusual among the Japanese gardens in Tokyo, as it is owned by a company. The Happoen Holdings calls itself a “comprehensive production company”. When you get out at Shirokanedai station and walk towards the garden, you will see a big gate with a road. The garden is actually only part of a whole complex.

The company offers this location for wedding and banquet businesses, with halls and restaurant spaces.

Tokyo Blue Garden

The Tokyo Blue Garden event started on December 21. Entrance to the facility and the garden is free – there is no ticket booth or anything. The garden is just one part of the whole compound.

Entering the garden, you will first see an impressive row of bonsai trees of different shapes and size. These trees are also bathed in blue light. Looking down below, you can see the rest of the garden and the pond.

The pond reflected the blue trees, while the koi were resting on the ground. Some photographers were busy setting up a photo spot. Whether it was for a special occasion or just to take a symmetric photo, I don’t know. Across the pond was a small bar.

Happo-en garden is smaller than it looks from the outside. There are tall walls around the area, blocking views from outside.

Highlights

The bonsai trees are the clear highlight of the garden, with some of them over 500 years old. This is not something you see at every Japanese garden.

Access

Shirokanedai is on the Mita and Namboku line, just one stop after Meguro. It’s a five minute walk from the station to the garden.