Sudo Park
Sudo Park is located near Sendagi station and gives a tasteful impression with pond and waterfall. In the Edo period, the Bunkyo area was urbanized as a suburb of Edo, and the residences of Daimyo and Samurai were there. The location of Sudo Park today was used to be a residence of Daijoji domain that was a branch of Kagakanazawa domain.
Since this suburban residence is on the hill, it used to be one of the best scenic spots in this area, where people could see the mountains in Boso Peninsula over Tokyo Bay. Although the garden is not so big, skillfully combining high ground with low ground made it a circuit-style Daimyo garden.
In the Meiji period, this place became the residence of a politician, Yajiro Shinagawa from Choshu which is Yamaguchi today. And then, it was purchased by a businessman Kichiemon Sudo in 1889 (Meiji 22). The garden had been preserved to keep the shape of Daimyo garden after that.
This park has been open for public since 1933 (Showa 8). The Sudos contributed to Tokyo city as a site for a park, and Bukyo-ku has managed this place since 1950 (Showa 25).
On this site, there has been a shrine of Benzaiten on a 100 square-meters island for a long time. Also, the waterfall drops 10 meters down into the pond at the center of this park and brings coolness during summer. There are Chinese pond turtles, topmouth gudgeons (Cyprinidae) and spot-billed ducks. So, people can enjoy stroll around observing nature.
You may forget you are in Tokyo because Sudo Park has the full of green with a big camphor tree and the refreshing flow of water. Please visit here.
Oct. 2019 Text: Ryoko Kuraishi Photo: Yasuo Yamaguchi