Hama-rikyū Gardens
At the centre of Shio-iri Pond is a teahouse, reached by three bridges, where visitors can enjoy refreshments, such as "matcha" and Japanese sweets, in the tea-ceremony style. The park includes a peony garden, a plum tree grove and fields with flowers for every season. Japanese falconry and aikido are demonstrated at New Year. History. In 1654, Tokugawa Tsunashige, the younger brother of Shōgun Tokugawa Iemitsu and "daimyō" of Kōfu Domain, received permission to reclaim land from Edo Bay, upon which he built a villa and garden. The property was inherited by his son, Tokugawa  Ienobu, who later became 6th Tokugawa shōgun. Succeeding generations of shōgun used the location as a secondary residence, and from the time of Tokugawa Ienari through Tokugawa Ieyoshi, it was a place where the shōgun could indulge in falconry. The main palace at Hama was destroyed by fire in 1724, and was not rebuilt since. In 1729, an elephant which had been received by the shōgun as a present from Annam was kept on the grounds for 12 years. During the Bakumatsu period, the site was turned over to the Tokugawa Navy as a training ground. In 1867, the shogunate  erected a western-style stone building as a place for foreign diplomats to stay when visiting Edo. After the Meiji restoration, the site was proclaimed the by Emperor Meiji, and continued to be used as a state guest house until the construction of the Rokumeikan. In 1879, Emperor Meiji received Crown Prince Frederick William of Germany at the Hama-rikyū. Later that year, former United States President Ulysses Grant stayed for a month at the Hama-rikyū during his extended visit to Japan. The state guest house was demolished in 1889. The gardens burned during the 1923 Great Kanto earthquake  and again in March 1945 during the Tokyo air raid. In November 1945, the Hama-rikyū was transferred from the Imperial Household Agency to Tokyo Metropolis and was opened as a public garden in April 1946. In 1952, it was designated as a Special National Historic Site and also as a Special Place of Scenic Beauty. Various tea houses have been reconstructed in the 2010s. Access. Visitors can access the park via either of the two northern gates or via the Tokyo Cruise Ship (water bus) on a 35-minute ride from Asakusa. The water bus ticket includes admission to  the park.