We walk a lot in the neigborhood with our kids, which is easy since this is an area with many parks and fairly few cars. The local government has made a superior effort to create a green walkable corridor along the Myoshijigawa river. The Tetsugakudou Kouen was recently featured in Bebevoyage as a hidden gem worth visiting. It is certainly worth it. But there are so many other parks in Tokyo that you do not have to go out of your way to find hidden gems, although this is the only park built as a philosophy lesson. Part of this green corridor is one of the oldest public parks in Tokyo. The Tetsugakudou Kouen (哲学堂公園) is located in the northwest corner of the Nakano sub-city, and it was created already at the end of the 19th century. Most of the staturs - many of them hidden thoughout the park - are there since the creation of the park. Ask your children to tell stories about them. If you are bringing a stroller, be aware that the gravelled paths are really bad for stroller wheels. And if you want to change the diapers, there are changing tables in the toilets, but there are no toilets at the southeast entrance. You have to cross the main road to the next door Nishi-Ochiai Kouen, which is a level below the baseball field and tennis courts. If you have toddlers, that is where you want to go, since that is where the playground is.
Tetsugakudou Koen is not unique in Tokyo. Many other gardens have hidden agendas. This was one of the premises of Japanese garden design for many hundreds of years: what the garden is showing you is not just what you see, it is also what you learn about yourself by walking there.
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About meI am Wisterian Watertree, recently moved from Bangkok to Tokyo, with a brief visit to Honolulu on the way. I write about travel, especially with our three beautiful kids (two girls and one boy, soon turning six - yes. they are triplets). Travel is education and fun rolled into one, and if you are like me, that is something you want to give to your kids. If you want more tips and want to find out when I will publish something, get it from my email list. If you want to be personal, drop me a note on wisterian.watertree@gmail.com, or if you want general tips, follow me on Twitter @wisterianw.
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