WB060: Park-ing and Library-ing in Hibiya

If you spend a lot of time indoors, something refreshing to do once in a blue moon is to head to a nearby park, sit down and soak in the sights and sounds. Weather permitting, of course.

Hibiya Park (Japanese: 日比谷公園), located adjacent to the Imperial Palace (Japanese: 皇居) and nestled amongst the modern skyscrapers in Tokyo's Chiyoda Ward (Japanese: 千代田区), is an example of a good park to do such things.

Here's why.

First, the Park has really lush, mature greenery that is refreshing and acts as a natural shade against the sun. And as you visit the Park throughout the four seasons, you can witness the changing scenery. I also feel that green lungs like Hibiya Park are much cooler, especially in a concrete jungle like Tokyo.

Second, Hibiya Park has ample seating so you don't have to stress out about where to sit. There are also benches scattered around the shaded areas of the Park, which make for an ideal escape from the open areas.

The other day, I noticed many office workers sitting down in the Park during lunchtime. Some were eating their bento boxes, some were having a mini picnic in the lawn while some were just relaxing.

Finally, Hibiya Park is quite convenient to get to by public transport, as many Tokyo Metro lines have a stop around the vicinity of the park. It also has good amenities such as toilets and drinking fountains. If you're hungry or need a coffee, there's also a Tully's cafe located in the park itself.

What I also quite like about this park is it's home to the Hibiya Library and Museum (Japanese: 日比谷図書文化館 ) ("Hibiya Library"). This makes the area great for a comfortable, all-day activity of "park-ing" and "library-ing".

Hibiya Library is where I come to read the print edition of the Financial Times, which the Setagaya Central Library (Japanese: 世田谷中央図書館) does not carry. The latest version of the Japanese Company Handbook (Japanese: 会社四季報) is also available, though you're not permitted to borrow it.

Hibiya Library is well-stocked with a plethora of books, magazines and print newspapers. There's a decent section with English books, though they aren't the most up-to-date.

While browsing Hibiya Library the other day, the minimalist-designed covers of the bilingual Tokyo Artrip series of books caught my eye. This Japanese-English series curates interesting locations around Tokyo. Each book in the series focuses on a category, such as Japanese-style coffee shops called kissaten (Japanese: 喫茶店), architecture and Japanese green tea.

The book is well-written, with the Japanese challenging though not impossible. Coupled with the English translations, the book makes for a useful language practise tool, in addition to having really interesting content.

I started my Tokyo Artrip journey by borrowing "Tokyo Artrip 珈琲 Coffee" and "Tokyo Artrip 建築 Architecture". Hopefully, I can uncover interesting locations and insights on two categories that Japan is relatively famous for.

--Ends