Can't go wrong for 300 yen entrance fee. There aren't many sitting areas around the lake, so you're usually in a less scenic area if you want some shaded rest. We spent about an hour here. Very nice reprieve from the city. Would be tough to spend a lot more time than that unless you want to grab some sweets at the tea house (which did have nice lake view seating). Grounds very impressively maintained and I imagine it's amazing to come here during more flower-blooming seasons.
Fun park experience, you can probably walk it all in 30 mins but if you take your time could be about a hour. The walk inside is a nice way to get out of the “city” even though it’s kinda in the center of a busy district. Worth coming , also have a food place that seemed to serve noodles and other items incase you’re hungry.
Unfortunately, the weeping cherry blossoms were past their peak bloom.
The garden was very beautiful.
But.I prefer "Dango over flowers."
"In Japan, we say 'Hana yori Dango.' It means preferring dumplings (practical things) over flowers (aesthetic things). Basically, it's like saying 'I'd rather eat than look at the scenery!'"
Very meticulously designed. One needs to understand the designer’s intent before being able to appreciate. Try to mimic great Japanese natural beauty in miniature. It works, and the gardening is top tier. Worth the time and money even though we missed the booming of the big Sakura 🌸 tree. May not be a bad thing as the queue could be long if in season.
We were lucky enough to find out about their autumn illumination event. We bought tickets ahead of time. What a delightful experience! They had little food stalls, projection mapping, plenty of seating, and of course beautiful up-lit momiji trees. It was mostly local residents enjoying the event. One of my favorite memories from my trip!