Re-visiting Kokyo-gyoen/Carlos Pueblo

Re-visiting Kokyo-gyoen/Carlos Pueblo

The inn which we stayed in Tokyo is at Chiyoda with several famous parks within

walking distance. We started the walk toward the Yasukuni Shrine and ended up

covering Kitanomaru Park and Kokyo-gyoen as well. We saw some book stores on

Yasukuni Boulevard still in good shape and in business. When we saw the sign of

the Shrine, I was attracted by a lovely tree with pink cherry blossom at the front

of Kitonomaru Park.

Kitanomaru was an old residence of three kin families of Shogun Tokugawa back

to the early 17 century when they had had an annual duty at the court of the

Shogun. It was a mandatory duty to the Shogun. The rest of the daimyo, local

lords, stayed at another place current day Hibiya Koen or Park. The first Tokugawa

set up such requirement, six months in a year, to exhaust the local daimyo’s finance

to prevent any rebellion. We walked through the park back and forth to enjoy the

design of the park and early cherry blossom. On our way back, we even visited two

museum one at the current art museum and the other for four famous artists at

Meiji era. On the way out of the museum, I found a statue of a general riding on a

horse,  Prince Kitashirakawa Yoshihisa who died on his mission at Tainan, Taiwan

of cholera. I do pay very much attention of the history of Taiwan; therefore, I feel

very fondly of such person in the history of the island nation. It was very amazing

to read his story of military life that he was on the other side of 1868 battle of

Toba-Fushimi where I visited the Fushimi Inari Shrine and read the story. He was

on the other side of Emperor Meiji and yet the Emperor took him back to be his

commander of garrison in the capital.

We entered the Kokyo-gyoen, the outer garden of the Palace, from the Sakurada

Gate on the north to visit the huge garden and peaked through some part of the

Kokyo literally means the Palace, current day the Emperor’s residence and has been

the residence of Japanese National head since Edo era for more than 400 years.

I have been here for three times and still very fond of the visit. I enjoy the most of

spring blossom and well design and manage of the garden, the old guards post,

various flowering trees, lakes, etc. I saw a large group of volunteers kneeing down

with a sickle to pick up the weed in time for the spring lawn. The lawn is huge.

Finally, Amy was hungry and I accompanied her to a small noodle restaurant in

front of the famous Yasukuni Shrine. I introduced to her the war hero of Japan.

I remember the old song of the Kudannoha, the mother of the Kudan Hill to

describe her visit to the shrine to mourn her dead son. We also walked aroud

the pond with beautiful koi carps which I read the written epitaph about the

original donation from Niigata for the celebration of Shinkansen opening.