Japanese Garden – Mihama-en

When you want to escape the city you can always head for Chiba and the Mihama-en garden. This beautiful park is an oasis in the midst of various hotels about a 10 minute walk from the Kaihin-Makuhari train station on the Keiyo Line.

The name of the park means “to view from the beach” and is a testament to it’s location near the Pacific Ocean. It is a landscape garden in the Japanese walk-around style with a central pond and a tea house named Shouraitei which translates to “the pine trees whisper”. The beauty of this type of garden is in its design which leads the visitor along a path to a series of changing scenic views from a forested mountain to a koi filled pond to a calming beach and then back to a serene tea house.

To get there take the Keiyo Line from Tokyo Station to Kaihin-Makuhari (about 30 minutes)and walk 10 minutes to the gardens entrance. An English language brochure can be picked up at the tourist information desk at the Kaihin-Makuhari station or is provided at the entrance to the garden. Entry is very reasonable at Y100 or about US$1.

Photo Credit: Personal Collection