Let's take a tour of the cultural assets of Shiba Park!

About Shiba Park

Shiba Park in Minato Ward is located in Tokyo, just a short walk from JR Hamamatsucho Station, which leads from Haneda Airport to the city center.

Historical buildings remain today, and even though it is a large city, there are buildings from the Edo period. Shiba Park, a place of relaxation for the citizens, is home to Tokyo Tower, and below it is the large temple, Zojoji. Let's take a look at the attractions of the area around Shiba Park, which is blessed with many tourist attractions.

Shiba Park Area Guide

Tokyo Tower area

Tokyo Tower is located in Shiba Park. It is lit up at night and is a popular photo spot. Another highlight is how the colors of the lights change between summer and winter, and for events.

Shiba Park area

Zojoji Temple, the family temple of the Tokugawa family that has existed since the Edo period, is located here. There are also other temples and gates related to the Tokugawa family. The park is a popular place of relaxation for local residents, where a long history and people's lives blend together.

Top 4 sightseeing spots in Shiba Park

1. Tokyo Tower (Japan Radio Tower)

It opened in December 1958 as a general radio tower and tourist tower. It is 333m tall and weighs about 4,000 tons. It was completed in just a year and a half, bringing together the best of Japanese technology at the time. As it was Japan's first super-high rise building, the Shibakoen area, which has strong ground, was chosen as the construction site, as it is prone to natural disasters. The foundations of the tower's legs reach 20m deep into the ground, and the steel tower is designed to withstand winds of up to 90m/s. In order to maintain the steel frame and its beauty, the tower body painting work has been carried out every five years since its opening, and is done entirely by hand, from the foundation to the painting. The amount of paint used for painting is about 34,000 liters. The traditional skills of craftsmen are essential to maintaining the tower, both in the past and today.

Tokyo Tower has also appeared in many cultural and artistic works, including movies, anime, and novels, and has made a deep impression on not only Japanese people but people all over the world through these works. The illumination that started in 1989 was said to have "changed the night view of Tokyo," further spreading the presence of Tokyo Tower.

2. Sangedatsumon Gate (Zojoji Temple)

The main gate of Zojoji Temple. One of the largest gates in eastern Japan.

It was built in 1611 and rebuilt in 1622.

Zojoji is a Buddhist temple, but it also serves as a place to mourn the ancestors of the Tokugawa family. The Tokugawa family ruled Japan during the Edo period from 1603 to 1867. This period was the most stable in Japanese history, and various cultural and artistic activities were born and developed in various regions. It is said that the population of Edo exceeded one million in the 1700s (the population of Paris was about 540,000 in the 1800s, and the population of London was about 860,000). It is said that the view of the sea from the top of this gate was magnificent. The "three" in the three liberations represents "greed, anger, and foolishness," and "liberation" means to throw away these three. This gate is the only one remaining from the beginning of the Edo period at Zojoji. Please pass through this gate, which people in Edo would have passed through, on your way to the temple.

3. Former Taitoku-in Mausoleum Main Gate

Built in 1632, this is the gate of the mausoleum that commemorates Tokugawa Hidetada (159-1632), the second Tokugawa. The Tokugawa family ruled Japan during the Edo period from 1603 to 1867. This was the most stable period, and various cultural and artistic activities were born in various regions. It is said that the population of Edo exceeded one million in the 1700s (the population of London in the 1800s was approximately 860,000). A mausoleum is a structure that enshrines the spirits of ancestors, and examples of this include the Confucius Temple in China and the Taj Mahal in India. Taitoku-in was the name given to Hidetada to become a disciple of Buddha. The mausoleum was magnificent and large, and this gate was the first gate to enter the mausoleum. All but four gates were burned down in a bombing raid during the war in 1945, and the other three gates were subsequently moved to other locations, leaving only this gate remaining here. When you look at this gate, you can imagine the magnificent architectural technology of the time and the grandeur of the Tokugawa family.

4. Yushoin Mausoleum Nitenmon Gate

Built in 1717. Tokugawa Ietsugu, the 7th Tokugawa lord

This is the gate to the mausoleum of Emperor Napoleon (1709-1716).

A mausoleum is a structure that enshrines the spirits of ancestors, and examples of this include the Taj Mahal in India and the Confucius Temple in China. The Tokugawa family ruled Japan for about 300 years during the Edo period (1603-1867), which was the most stable period in Japanese history and saw the development of various cultures. Edo had a population of 1 million in the 1700s and was a large city that surpassed Paris and London at the time. Yushoin was the name given to Ietsugu to become a disciple of Buddha. Ietsugu's mausoleum, who died at just under 8 years old, was so magnificent that it was said to be comparable to the Nikko Toshogu Shrine that still exists in Nikko City, Tochigi Prefecture. However, most of it was burned down in a bombing raid during the 1945 war. Since such mausoleums were no longer built after the 8th Tokugawa, this gate is extremely valuable in learning about part of the history of the Tokugawa family.