Culture
Lotus Blooms at Yakushiike Park
Cathy CawoodExquisite pink blooms in the lotus pond at Yakushiike Park in Machida
Yakushi-ike Park (Shikisai no Mori) is a medium-sized park filled with seasonal flowers. Inside the park, you can find historic buildings such as the former Nagai family residence and the Ogino family residence. Enjoy a walk around the central Yakushi Pond, spanned by the Taiko Bridge. Over the hill towards the southern edge of the park, you can find the modern Shikisai no Mori Western Garden with its 44APARTMENT grilled cuisine restaurant and nearby farmer's market. It's also just across the road from the another family favorite, the Machida Squirrel Garden (10am–4pm, closed Tues).
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The park is about an hour’s walk from the main Machida station, or you can catch a taxi for a 15-minute ride (approximately ¥2000, depending on traffic). A bus can also be taken close by: go to bus stop #21 in front of the Pop Building, where you’ll see a Lawson supermarket directly in front of you. Take the J55 and disembark at "Yakushi-ike". You’ll see the yellow squirrel garden gate in the distance, and traffic lights just ahead.
Exquisite pink blooms in the lotus pond at Yakushiike Park in Machida
Irises bloom in the long narrow pond gardens at Yakushiike from early June.
In Machida in the outskirts of Tokyo, Yakushi-Ike Park is a beautiful park next to the Machida squirrel garden, a lovely place to explore in rain or shine.
In the pouring rain, a Chinese lady with a red umbrella visits the lotus pond at Yakushiike Park . She speaks to a solitary lotus blossom.
Edo period thatched roof farm house preserved at Yakushiike Park in Machida
Thatched roof house dating from Edo period preserved in Yakushiike Park in Machida shows the lifestyle of a country doctor and his family.
Birdwatchers with super lenses gathered in late February to photograph plum blossoms and a solitary blue heron at Yakushiike Park in Machida.
To celebrate the beautiful fall color at Yakushiike Park in Machida, an autumn leaves festival will be held throughout the month of November.
Kanagawa's Yakushi-ike Park is hosting an illumination event which will light up Taiko Bridge and the maple trees surrounding the pond. On windless nights, the park will also use fog machines to create even more of an ethereal atmosphere.
Machida's Shikisai no Mori Yakushiike Park is home to around 250 plum trees that bloom in shades of red and white, creating a truly stunning welcome to the spring season.
Social Residence Tama Plaza is a share house located in Shinishikawa, Aoba Ward in Kanagawa Prefecture. It is an 8-minute walk from Tama-Plaza Station, and it takes only 20 minutes on the Express train to Shibuya station on the Den-en-toshi line. The share house is conveniently located around various amenities such as a supermarket and a shopping centre.
Global Residence Sagamihara is a place with a real emphasis on community. Most of the guest are Japanese, but there are also many of others that come from all over the world.
Located near Shin-Yurigaoka Station, den en poteto offers a calm, rustic interior space at its bakcstreet patisserie setting. They offer both a lunch menu, as well as cafe options across desserts, pastries and breads. Loved for over 40 years, their signature offering is their sweet and succulent 'den en potato' cake, made from local sweet potatoes and previously awarded Monde Selection for 8 consecutive years.
Azamino Ukai-tei's exterior harmoniously combines the beauty of French and Japanese architectural influences with modern art — an elegant scene that continues inside thanks to a refined Western interior that integrates the essence of Japanese design. The high-quality seasonal ingredients are prepared by Ukai-tei's skilled chefs to create a French-cuisine inspired menu using Japanese Black beef as a main. Every course is sure to stay in your memory long after the meal is finished.
Pain Pati bakery and cafe in Machida has delicious baked goods, a pleasant atmosphere, and terrace seating.
Serigaya Park (芹ヶ谷公園, Serigaya Kōen) is a park near Machida station popular for cherry blossom viewing.
Sanrio Puroland, or Hello Kitty Land, is an indoor amusement park based on the popular character "Hello Kitty". The amusement park, which opened in 1990, is located in Tama New Town in Tokyo and also shows other characters from the Sanrio company (My Melody, Cinnamoroll, Gudetama etc.). Sanrio Puroland has over 1.5 million visitors a year and is 4.5 hectares in size. The on-site attractions are suitable for children of all ages. The parades of Hello Kitty and other Sanrio characters are also highly recommended. The park also has themed restaurants and shops dedicated to specific Sanrio characters that sell exclusive goods.
The Snoopy Museum in Tokyo is the only branch of the Charles M. Schulz Museum in Santa Rosa California. The museum originally opened in Roppongi in 2016, but was relocated to Minami-Machida and reopened in 2018-2019. The reason for the relocation was that the new location had almost twice the area available and also had a green area. The museum offers the visitor multi-dimensional exhibitions which deal with the legacy of Charles M. Schulz and his peanuts. The fan can also see original excerpts from original comics, vintage articles and animations here. In the shop "The Brown's Store" there are original Peanuts fan articles, which were produced exclusively for the Snoopy Museum, and in the "Peanuts Cafe", thematically appropriate menus are offered to linger in a playful atmosphere.