straddles Musashino

Musashino, Tokyo

is a city located in Tokyo, Japan.As of October 1, 2010, the city has an estimated population of 137,222 and a population density of 12,788.63 persons per km². The total area is 10.73 km².The city was founded on November 3, 1947...

 and Mitaka

Mitaka, Tokyo

is a city located in Tokyo, Japan. As of 1 November 2010, the city has an estimated population of 176,737. The total area is 16.50 km² and is about 50 – 55 meters above sea level...

 in western Tokyo

Tokyo

, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...

, Japan

Japan

Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...

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Inokashira Pond (井の頭池) and the , established during the Edo period

Edo period

The , or , is a division of Japanese history which was ruled by the shoguns of the Tokugawa family, running from 1603 to 1868. The political entity of this period was the Tokugawa shogunate....

, are the primary sources of the Kanda River

Kanda River

The stretches 24.6 km from Inokashira Park in Mitaka to the Sumida River under the Ryōgoku Bridge at the boundary of Taitō, Chūō, and Sumida. Its entire length lies within Tokyo, Japan. It drains an area of 105.0 km². The government of Japan classifies it as a Class I river.-Tributaries...

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The land was given to Tokyo in 1913. On May 1, 1918, it opened under the name Inokashira Onshi Kōen (井の頭恩賜公園), which can be translated as, "Inokashira Imperial Gift Park". Thus the park was considered a gift from the emperor to the general public. This was the first time in Tokyo that a park was founded in such a manner.

Data

• Date opened: May 1, 1918
• Area: 383,773 m2
• Addresss: Gotenyama 1-chōme, Kichijōji Minami-chō 1-chōme, Musashino city, Inokashira 3~5-chōme, Shimorenjaku 1-chōme, Mure 4-chome, Mitaka city, Tokyo
• Nearest stations: 5 min walk from Kichijōji (JR Chūō line
  Chuo Main Line
  The , commonly called the Chūō Line, is one of the major trunk railway lines in Japan. It runs between Tokyo and Nagoya, although it is the slowest direct railway connection between the two cities; the coastal Tōkaidō Main Line is slightly faster, while the Tōkaidō Shinkansen is the fastest rail...
  
  ), 1 min walk from Inokashira Kōen (Keiō Inokashira Line)
• Number of trees: Tall trees: 11,060 / shrubs: 12,800 / lawn: 10,000 m2
• Variety of plants: Cherry trees, cypresses, red pines, azaleas

Attractions

The Park contains a small temple dedicated to Benzaiten

Benzaiten

Benzaiten is the Japanese name for the Hindu goddess Saraswati. Worship of Benzaiten arrived in Japan during the 6th through 8th centuries, mainly via the Chinese translations of the Sutra of Golden Light, which has a section devoted to her...

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The park has a petting zoo and a small aquarium, and is a place where vendors, musicians, artists and street performers gather. The park is bustling with crowds who arrive to take in the lively environment on weekends and holidays, especially during the cherry blossom season when the entire park is overrun with visitors for hanami

Hanami

is the Japanese traditional custom of enjoying the beauty of flowers, "flower" in this case almost always meaning cherry blossoms or ume blossoms. From the end of March to early May, sakura bloom all over Japan, and around the first of February on the island of Okinawa...

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On the southwest end of Inokashira Park is the Ghibli Museum

Ghibli Museum

is a museum featuring the Japanese anime work of Studio Ghibli, and is located in Inokashira Park in Mitaka, a western suburb of Tokyo, Japan.The museum is a fine arts museum, but does not take the concept of a usual fine arts museum. With many features that are child-oriented and a sprawling and...

, a popular destination dedicated to the animated productions of Studio Ghibli

Studio Ghibli

is a Japanese animation and film studio founded in June 1985. The company's logo features the character Totoro from Hayao Miyazaki's film My Neighbor Totoro...

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External links

• Photographs of the park by Kensuke Kazama
  Kensuke Kazama
  is a Japanese photographer who for many years lived in and photographed the one-time mining town of Yūbari, Hokkaidō.Born in Mie Prefecture, Kazama moved to Tokyo in 1978. He held exhibitions in Tokyo two years later...
  
  . Accessed 9 September 2007.