Sugamo
is an interesting
stop on the JR
Yamanote
line about 15 minutes from
Shinjuku, on the way to Ueno and
Tokyo. It
can be combined with a visit to the excellent nearby Rikugien
garden. A morning or afternoon spent here will give you a strong sense
of Tokyo through the ages.
Sugamo is known for its excellent old shopping street named 'Jizou-dori' which feels like going back in time a few decades. A word of warning though: if you are under 55 years old, then you'll be in the wrong place for shopping, but the right place for some great sightseeing. Sugamo is a town where aging Japanese come to buy sturdy leather shoes, polyester shirts, comfortable slacks with razor-sharp creases, and above all else... red underwear.
Red is a lucky colour, and so it follows that red clothes will bring you good health, a long life and good luck. They also have the additional effect of being sexy, although the particular styles and sizes of women's undergarments on show did little for me on my visit. Maybe in a few years I might change my mind or lose my sight and go crazy for the baggy red look.
There seemed no shortage of customers in the area: from clothes shops to traditional sembei cracker vendors, umbrella sellers to hardware stores. Crowds of sightseers and locals were hard at work spending their hard-earned Yen. I stopped off at a coffee shop where delicious iced cocoa was only Y350 and a roast beef sandwich a mere Y400. I think the prices were so low because the elderly customers would refuse to pay any more. Quite right too! In fact, all the goods on sale along the main shopping street were reasonally-priced - another throwback to the golden past.
I also paid a visit to the small shrine to see 'Togenuki Jizou' which is a small statue (not the orginal) thought to heal the sick. In this case all you have to do to benefit from the guardian's health-giving properties is to pour water over the statue corresponding to the place on you that is unwell or needs a boost. Needless to say, I took a hose pipe with me, and now feel decidedly better.
Address: 6-16-3
Hon-komagome, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo. 113-0021. Entrance fee: 300 Yen.
The garden can be reached by a 15 minute walk from Sugamo after visiting the shopping street, or alternatively from Komagome station. One can also use Komagome station on the Tokyo Metro Namboku line (7 mins) or Sengoku station on the Toei Mita line (10 mins).
This garden was created in 1702 by Yoshiyasu Yanagisawa who was close to the shogun at the time, Tsunayoshi Tokugawa. The garden changed hands several times before being donated to the city of Tokyo in 1953. It was then designated as a special site of exceptional beauty and a cultural asset.
The garden was designed as a stroll garden with mountain and pond features and has a theme based on Waka poetry and is a delightful place in all seasons. Each step reveals another view and the garden is divided in to different areas around the central large pond. The pond has one large island called Naka-no-shima with two small hills, as well as Garyu-seki or 'Sleeping dragon rock', and Horaijima which has supernatural powers. The highest 'mountain' is called Fujishiro-toge and at 35m, affords a grand view. Other highlights are: Takami-no-chaya - a secluded teahouse by a waterfall; Tsutsuji-no-chaya - a teahouse on a small mound among the trees, featuring beautiful twisted wooden posts; and Togetsukyo - a large stone bridge.
One of the joys of japanese gardens is the skillful way in that the designer incorporates flowers and trees to provide ever-changing, year-round interest. A visitor during cherry-blossom season will experience a quite different garden to someone who arrives when the pink azaleas are in bloom, or the blue and purple hydrangeas. A visit during autumn will reveal the turning leaves of maples, and winter snow brings yet more drama. One can come again and again and make sure you bring your camera.
