Institute for Nature Study

Exceeded expectations. What i thought would be an average park like shinjuku gyoen, turned out be more like an actual nature conservation area (albeit a very small one). It’s a dense forest comparable to those of singapore, with ponds and marshes in them. because i was going in the middle of August i didn’t see any good wildlife, but during the fall and winter, there should be good birds to photograph (goshawks, kingfishers, etc). Speaking of kingfishers, it looks like an amazing place for them - ponds, rivers, lots of great perches. But i must mention that other parks like kasai seaside park are much better options if you’re wanting to see some rare species. The park is amazing well designed. There are paths that have frequent rest areas (with benches, tables, and water fountains) and public bathrooms (i counted two inside the park). The visitor center is even more impressive. it is well air conditioned, which is very important during the summer. There is a display in the middle of the visitor center with what seems like taxidermied birds, which have labels and a button that when pressed, plays the bird’s calls. There’s a dilettante room with a display of butterflies. There’s even a gift shop, from which you can buy books about birding (yes, sadly they are all in japanese), bird dolls, and other wildlife-related souvenirs.