May is the month when Tokyo's greenery becomes noticeable. The weather is nice, with lots of sunshine, and its only natural that most of us decide to take a walk and/or a picnic in the park.
Public parks came into being in 1873 in Japan. Each prefecture chose suitable locations. In Tokyo, Sensojii/Asakusa Park, Zojoji/Shiba Park, Kaneiji/Ueno Park, and Tomioka Hachimangu/Fukagawa Park were all among the first public parks to be established. By no coincidence many of the parks are in the precincts of famous temples. Apparently, the parks were an appeasement by the central government in return for prior neglect when innovating the land distribution system.
Before this, Japan didn't have parks. Instead, people went to shrines and temples to enjoy manicured landscapes. The first such publicly developed temple grounds were at Asukayama, opened in the Edo era (1716 - 36). At this time, the masses started enjoying cultural pursuits that previously had been restricted to the ruling class.
Each nation with a park tradition, has had a different reason for developing them. For example, with the industrialization of England and the increase of blue collar workers (who liked dog fighting and other "low-brow" sports), parks were created as a place to escape for the mid- and upper-class residents of London. In Germany on the other hand, parks were created to provide an uplifting of the general public's spirit -- which they achieved by building many statues of patriots and public achievers in the newly created public spaces.
How about Japan? The government was totally focused on modernizing the nation and thus in 1903 established Hibiya Park as a place that would reflect the moral ambitions of the time. Unfortunately, the park soon became overrun with peddlers, street performers, carriages and rikishas.
Well, considering that this was the exact same thing that such people did at the various shrines and temples, their actions were actually quite normal.
Today Japanese parks serve not only as places of recreation, but also as fire breaks. When the Great Kanto Earthquake of 1923 hit Tokyo, it caused about 43% of the city to burn. The other 60% was protected by parks, squares, rivers, and similar open spaces.
Public parks came into being in 1873 in Japan. Each prefecture chose suitable locations. In Tokyo, Sensojii/Asakusa Park, Zojoji/Shiba Park, Kaneiji/Ueno Park, and Tomioka Hachimangu/Fukagawa Park were all among the first public parks to be established. By no coincidence many of the parks are in the precincts of famous temples. Apparently, the parks were an appeasement by the central government in return for prior neglect when innovating the land distribution system.
Before this, Japan didn't have parks. Instead, people went to shrines and temples to enjoy manicured landscapes. The first such publicly developed temple grounds were at Asukayama, opened in the Edo era (1716 - 36). At this time, the masses started enjoying cultural pursuits that previously had been restricted to the ruling class.
Each nation with a park tradition, has had a different reason for developing them. For example, with the industrialization of England and the increase of blue collar workers (who liked dog fighting and other "low-brow" sports), parks were created as a place to escape for the mid- and upper-class residents of London. In Germany on the other hand, parks were created to provide an uplifting of the general public's spirit -- which they achieved by building many statues of patriots and public achievers in the newly created public spaces.
How about Japan? The government was totally focused on modernizing the nation and thus in 1903 established Hibiya Park as a place that would reflect the moral ambitions of the time. Unfortunately, the park soon became overrun with peddlers, street performers, carriages and rikishas.
Well, considering that this was the exact same thing that such people did at the various shrines and temples, their actions were actually quite normal.
Today Japanese parks serve not only as places of recreation, but also as fire breaks. When the Great Kanto Earthquake of 1923 hit Tokyo, it caused about 43% of the city to burn. The other 60% was protected by parks, squares, rivers, and similar open spaces.
Comments