Hibiya Park
The Hibiya Park ( Japanese 日比谷公園 , Hibiya kōen ) is a public park and neighborhood in the district of Chiyoda , Tokyo.
Overview
Until the Meiji Restoration , the area was occupied by daimyo residences ( Mōri , Nabeshima and a number of others), which now fell to the state. He initially used it as a military site, but then a public park was planned there, the first in Japan based on the western model with lawns, flower beds, fountains and music pavilions. When the Hibiya-dōri to the east was widened during the planning and an old ginkgo (age about 400 years, trunk circumference 6.35 m) was to be felled, the garden planner at the time, Dr. Seiroku Honda (1866–1952) resisted it with the sentence "only over my corpse". The tree was then moved 450 m, which took 25 days.
In the north-eastern part of the garden, a remnant of the old ramparts at the Hibiya gate of the inner fortifications is preserved. In front of the wall, the original moat was converted into a "heart-shaped pond" that has been handed down from monasteries.
The flowering dogwood trees in the park came to the park in return for the Japanese cherry trees on the Potomac River (Washington) . They are now known as hanamizuki and are felt to be indigenous.
A small western-style wooden house with a veranda from 1909 is used as the information center for the garden. A sign declares it as "German House". As a gift from Italy in 1938 there was a statue of the Capitoline Wolf , and a freedom bell came from the USA.
The garden is known for its regular music events. Because of its proximity to the Hibiya office district, the park is often used during lunch breaks. Sports equipment is available for exercise.
The park forms a separate district of Hibiyakōen and is bounded by the moat of the Imperial Palace in the north, Yūraku-chō in the northeast, Uchisaiwai-chō in the east and southeast and Kasumigaseki in the southwest and west.
Characteristics
- Carrier: Tokyo Prefecture.
- Opening: June 1, 1903.
- Area: 161,636.66 m², of which 14,112 m² is lawn.
- Tree population: 5257 trees, 15,375 bushy (1995).
- Predominant tree species: plum, ginkgo , rhododendron, dogwood, plane tree , pine.
- Facilities: Double building Shisei kaikan + Hibiya kōkai-dō (1929), large and small concert pavilion, Hibiya library, tennis courts, garden archive, restaurant.
- Access: Hibiya Station on various subway lines.
Remarks
- ↑ Ponds of this kind - 心 字 の 池 , shinji no ike - have the shape of a symbol for heart 心 painted in one go .
literature
- Tōkyō-to (Ed.): Hibiya kōen , in: Toritsu kōen gaido, 1995.
- Map of the district ( kiriezu ) Soto-Sakurada , 1850.
Web links
- Tōkyō-to kensetsu-kyoku ("Tokyo Prefecture Building Authority "): Hibiya Park (Japanese, English)
Coordinates: 35 ° 40 ′ 25 ″ N , 139 ° 45 ′ 22 ″ E