Walk along the "Momozonogawa Greenway" in Nakano, Tokyo! See flowers and plants all year round

Hello. I'm Chiitan, a Nakano Tourism Reporter. Chibi Nakano is on a break. This time, I'll be introducing the seasonal flowers of the Momozonogawa Greenway in Nakano, Tokyo. Chiitan followed the path for a year, accompanied by a leaflet published in 1994 by the Nakano Ward Office's Parks Division called "Enticed by the Green Wind - Momozonogawa Greenway."

The Momozonogawa Greenway is a 2.3 km long promenade that stretches from Suginami-ku (11-no. Nakano 3-chome, Nakano-ku, Tokyo) to Kanda-gawa (12-no. Chuo 1-chome, Nakano-ku, Tokyo). It was developed between 1985 and 1994 as a path where people can enjoy walking while surrounded by greenery and flowers.

spring

The first thing that caught my eye was the brightly blooming azaleas. They are the flower of Nakano Ward, so there are probably a lot of them planted there. They were neatly trimmed, making the promenade look neat and tidy.

(Azalea)

(Satsuki)

The Satsuki azalea, which resembles azalea, was in full bloom. When Chitan walked there during Golden Week, various flowers were in full bloom and the surrounding area was filled with a wonderful fragrance.

I also discovered some unexpected combinations of plants and flowers. The succulent plant "Sabotendaisy" has flowers like this.

(Cactus daisy)

I think it was a willow tree; its white flowers were in full bloom.

(Spiraea)

A flower of vibrant colors, the name of which I don't know, blooming in a flower bed. The leaves seem different from those of a morning glory.

I found out the name of this place from the sign: "Sapphinia."

(Saffinia)

This flower is a beautiful purple "Blanc dei lily."

(silane)

The flower buds of the "Kalmia" flower, which look like Apollo chocolate, were blooming. They were so cute.

(Kalmia)

I was in a good mood when I saw swallowtail butterflies, especially blue swallowtails, flying around. I also found some butterfly nymphs, bumblebees collecting nectar, and ladybug larvae. I also passed a family with a bug net.

When I look down at my feet, I see a cute flower called "Cypress." I'm sure you've all seen this flower before.

(Cuttlewort)

There were many different flowers and plants in bloom all over the area, including some I didn't know the names of, so it was a walk full of things to see.

autumn

We strolled along the road lined with red brick flower beds on both sides. The dead leaves on the road made us feel autumn had arrived. We could see the fruits of pyracanthus.

(Pyracantha fruit)

A swallowtail butterfly has come to suck nectar from the Lantana.

(Lantana and Swallowtail)

Ah! That hummingbird-like moth is a hawk moth. Can you see it in the photo? It's amazing how it can fly hovering with its wings flapping at high speed.

(Hawk fly)

I found a flower with an interesting shape. It's a Mexican flower called "Koebiso".

(Shrimp plant)

The sweet osmanthus flowers were still in bud, but I imagine they will soon start giving off that unique fragrance. I was also able to see persimmons before they turned color.

(Osmanthus)

winter

It's fun to walk while looking at the signs with the names of trees and flowers. "Winter Camellia" was in bloom.

(Winter Camellia)

The greenway is in a residential area and is very quiet. This is exactly what it means to be away from the hustle and bustle of the city. There are hospitals and elementary schools along the way, making it an essential road for daily life.

I was soothed by the camellia flowers scattered throughout the park.

(camellia)

Are those holly berries? The bright red berries are gorgeous.

(Holly berries)

summer

Sorry! It was a tough walk due to the record-breaking heatwaves. I'm sure the trees would have been lush and green. I'll try again next year.

Even though it was called a flower tour, there were many flowers and plants whose names I didn't know, so it was fun to use an app to look them up as I walked. This time we were only able to introduce a small part of the park, and there are apparently 90 kinds of flowers along the park (from a leaflet published in 1994). Why not try experiencing the four seasons on the Taoyuan River Greenway?

Taoyuan River Greenway

Location: From 12-banchi Chuo 1-chome to 11-banchi Nakano 3-chome, Nakano-ku, Tokyo

Access: From the south exit of JR Nakano Station on the Chuo Line, walk along Nakano-dori for about 5 minutes until you reach the intersection with the greenway.

Parking and bicycle parking is not permitted.

Taoyuan River Greenway