Yokohama Station to Tokaido, Mitsuzawa Park and Bugeji Temple

Yokohama Station Tourist Information Office

Yokohama Station West Exit Area

Sculpture Park in Joinus

Ercolano at Hotel Yokohama Camelot Japan

Sawatari Central Park

Sawatari Central (Chuo) Park is one of the urban parks close to Yokohama Station. The park is often used for the gathering place to start the Tokaido hike. Tokaido runs about 100 meters south of this park.

Old Tokaido Road Close to Sawatari Central Park

Unfortunately most of the former Tokaido Road is paved and busy in traffic. This segment in particular has no trace of the old highway. Just a narrow alley running in residential area. Turn right from the T intersection. And walk toward Gangyoji Temple.

Entrance to Gangyoji Temple

Precinct of Gangyoji Temple

The Garden of Gangyoji Temple

Sengenshita Intersection

Karuizawa Kofun (Ancient Burial Mounds)

Koshin Statues

The road leading to the entrance of the north approach of the Sengen Shrine

Although, north approach of the shrine has much more history than that of the south one it is not easy to find the way in. First walk into the narrower street leading to the elementary school. There is a narrow road in the residential area leading to the shrine.

The narrow alley to the north approach

It is not easy to find the north approach of the Sengen Shrine because there is nothing even a direction board leading the way to it. A narrow alley just before you pass the park is the only way to the shrine from the north side. Hundreds of years ago this route is the only way to the shrine because at that time current Tokaido was still the beach not easily passable during the rough weather. The passage from the Tokaido was a lot newer. The hill also served as the fuji mound so longer twisting path was preferred even when the south route was opened. Climbing to the hill was mock Fuji climbing and spiritual experience for people during Edo period.

Entrance to the North Approach

The entrance of the North Approach is not easy to find either because the trail is buried among the residential area and there is no directory boards.

Sengen-jinja Shrine

Shirine Entrance on Tokaido

Back on Tokaido

Winding Road Leading to Mitsuzawa Park

After walking from Sengen Shrine northward along Old Tokaido and turn left and walk about a few minutes past elementary school, there is a place where the road suddenly becomes narrower. There is a winding narrow road leading to the park area.

The Statue of Ryozo Hiranuma

Ryozo Hiranuma (1879- 1959) is best known by the fifth IOC chairman who has contributed the development of athletic sports. He also served as the Mayor of Yokohama in 1955. The figure depicts 76-year-old torch runner for Japan National Athletic meet held in 1955. Emperor Hirohito was very impressed by the old torch runner and wrote the poem for him. Then the statue was erected to show the respect for Hiranuma who made great contribution to the sportsmanship in Japan.

Children's Playground 1

One of the places for small children to play in this park. It also has a place to dine and rest.

Entrance to the promenade in the western edge of the park

The area west to the athletic field is a wooded area with some nice walking trails. Few people ever come to this section of the park so you can enjoy the quiet atmosphere embracing nature.

Children's Playground 2

One of the small children's playgrounds with a sandbox, a slide and a basketball hoop. It seems that the place is visited only by the neighborhood community members.

Back to main Park area

After visiting the small park area with play structures. I took the wooded trail alongside the paved road from the park.

Entrance to Cherry Orchard

Walking along the paved road between the stadium and the parking space. There is a trail leading to the Cherry Orchard area of the park. Unfortunately when I went there it was June and the cherry blossoms no more but I could enjoy the quiet walk under the old cherry trees.

Cherry Orchard Trail

In April this wooded area is filled with cherry blossoms.

Multi-purpose ground

Now I was walking along the what the park call trim course 2. From there on it was easier to follow. The photo below is the multipurpose ground.

Small Pond

It is a good nice to rest particularly during the cherry viewing season.

Turn Left from here

Parting way from trim course to turn left to walk on the broad road. Now I was walking toward the eastern part of the park.

Rose Beds

Yokohama is one of the rose breeding areas in Japan. You can enjoy the wide variety of roses in Yokohama English Garden, Yamashita Park, Harbor View Park, Western Mansions at Yamate Buff, and here in Mitsuzawa Park. The rose bed of this park is not as wide as aforementioned places. But it is a nice view of the wide variety of roses in late May to early June when you are walking toward the overpass bridge linking west and east parts of the park.

Pedestrian Bridge

This overpass is linking west and east sides of the park. Eastern part of the park has war memorial cenotaph and huge children's park featuring a long slide. From the bridge you may even view Mount Fuji when the weather is crystal clear.

Eastern Part of the Park

After crossing the overpass you will be walking the eastern part of the park with war memorial cenotaph, equestrian field, children's playground and a shell mound. This area also has some rose beds.

WW2 War Memorial Cenotaph

Most of the park area used to belong to the Bugenji Temple at the north of the park. Later the eastern half section was set aside to build the Shinto Shrine dedicated to the war deads (Yasukuni Shrine and Gokoku Shrines functioned as the places for State-Shintoism until 1946 when the current constitution outlawed state religions.) The plaza with cenotaph was for the main building of Gokoku Shrine but the building in construction was burned down by the air raid during the second world war. The cenotaph built in 1953 consists of a set of two pillars. One of the pillar with broken top inscribes Year 20 of Showa (1945) in Kanji, the year Japan surrendered to the United States and the war was over. The other longer straight pillar denotes the hope for the future. The area is also home to cherry trees and one of the places to enjoy hanami in Mitsuzawa Park

Children's Playground

Mitsuzawa Park has a number of children's playgrounds but this is the largest and has a long slides. This area also has some cherry trees.

Bugenji Citizens' Forest

Adjoining the Northeastern Edge of the Mitsuzawa Park is Bugenji Citizens' Forest, which is the area huge lecture halls of Bugenji Temple used to stand. During June the trail walkers are greeted by hydrangeas. There are two trails, direct and circular. I chose the longer trail. When I walked I found old benches and there is only a cat.

Red Gate of Bugenji Temple

Bugenji Temple

It is the time-honored Buddhist temple moved to this place in 1590. It used to have huge temple grounds covering large part of what is now Mitsuzawa Park. It used to be the center of Buddhism education with dormitory for the young monks. Since the Kanto Earthquake in 1923 temple lost most of the grounds and limited to the current precinct. It is one of popular places to view cherry blossoms during early April.

Mitsuzawa Seseragi Walking Trail

Mitsuzawa Seseragi Ryokudo is a walking trail along the former stream now buried underground. Close to the Bugenji Temple there is a narrow trail and you will find a nice small arched bridge. Then I turned rightward after crossing the small bridge.

-Mitsuzawa Seseragi Trail 2

It is a snaky trail. In some part there is a water flow and in some part there is just paved road. In June you can enjoy the view of hydrangeas along the trail. Since bicycle entries are limited you can enjoy the quiet walk in most part of the trail.

Kan'on-ji Temple

Turning Left to Mitsuzawa Shimocho Station

Mitsuzawa-shimocho Station