Haha to Ko no Mori

There are days that I just want and need to get out of the city.  However, sometimes that isn't an option.  Running away from the hustle and bustle of Tokyo takes time, energy, and planning.  The trick is to learn how to lose yourself within the city.

Whenever I get the scratch to get away, I do it the easy way by checking out the beautiful parks within the city.  There are so many to discover, each with their own hidden gems.  Sometimes I will visit a park and completely miss the best it has to offer because I'm so distracted by other aspects of the park or I simply don't know where I will be most entranced. 

This past weekend, I checked out Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden, especially the rose garden on the grounds.  But I totally missed their Mother and Child's Forest or Haha to Ko no Mori.  Just the name itself begs for exploration by me and my son.  So, today, along with some Hike it Baby friends, we explored the corner of the park that we had previously neglected.

One of the families had been there before, but the other family, just like ours, had not been to this corner of the park.  I was expecting trails and woods.  At first, all I saw was well worn paths, cement sidewalks, and wooden raised walk ways.  It was fine.  I was having a great time chatting with the other moms and watching our kids wandering around.

As we hiked deeper into the forest, we were suddenly greeted with the image I had created in my mind.  Dirt trails, log steps, and a lovely stream that made me forget that I was in the city. 

My son was super excited to play in the stream.  He found a fish that captured his attention for quite some time. 

Another one of the kids was completely mesmerized by some pigeons eating berries from the branches of a tree.  I, too, enjoyed watching them dine.

I found myself being completely enraptured by the space.  I loved being in the Mother and Child's Forest.  It felt like hiking in the forest and not like a city park.  It was a great place to really get away from it all.