Inokashira Park Inokashira Pond, which is located in Inokashira park, opened in 1917, has been known as one of the places of interest in the Yedo suburbs. The scene showing Tokugawa Ieyasu enjoying a tea ceremony, using tasty water from the pond, is depicted in Illustrations of Scenic Beauty in Yedo. Also the book describes the scene where the third Shogun, Iemitu, engraved the word "Inokashira" on a tree near the pond, and says that is the origin of the name of the pond. Wild plants such as helleborine and bush clover bloom all over the forest in Gotenyama. In spring, the place gets crowded with people who come to enjoy the cherry blossoms. There are also abundant wild birds, which makes the place ideal for bird watching. Other facilities in the park include boat rental, an outdoor stage, a playing ground, tennis courts, and a swimming pool. Families and couples regularly come to enjoy rowing or pedaling boats on the pond. The green adventure course is available to learn about plants. There is Inokashira Nature Park next to it, and a miniature zoo, aquatic plant garden are also in the site. 1 min. walk from Keio Inokashira line Inokashira-koen-mae Station, or 5 min. walk from Kichijo-ji Station, Koen-guchi exit

Tamagawa River, which supported life in Yedo In order to accommodate the increasing need for water along with the development of Yedo city and the expansion of the population, water pipes were constructed in 1653. These are the remains of the old facility. It runs across JR Mitaka Station, through the southern end of the city to Inokashira Park toward Suginami ward. The big scaled cut-and-cover work between Hamura dam and Yotsuya-okido (43 km) was completed within seven months, demonstrating the highly skilled engineering technology of the time. The bridges crossing the Tamagawa River were named Murasaki-bashi (Purple bridge), Hotaru-bashi (Firefly bridge), and Matsukake-bashi (Pine tree bridge) representing seasonal feelings. Along the river is a walking path, and also the memorial of Dazai Osamu (a representing figure of Japanese literature in the early 20th century) and Yamamoto Yuzo Memorial Museum. Although there was a time when the area was completely dry, now the water has come back as part of the advanced drainage facility project, and there are abundant wild plants on both sides of the river.

National Astronomical Observatory As a facility, with state-of-the-art astronomical observatory equipment, it is the center of joint research and international cooperation. It functions as a data collecting head quarters from Subaru Telescope, which is now under construction in Hawaii, and from various locations in Japan. In addition to the high tech facilities such as the Astronomical Data Analysis Center, Automatic Photoelectric Meridian Circle, and Gravitational Wave Laboratory, various observatory tools, constructed in the early 20th century still remain in this huge site surrounded by woods. The 65 cm Reflector, completed in 1929, is especially outstanding as a symbol of the Observatory. About a 1 hour guided tour of the site is available for general visitors on the second and fourth Fridays (April - November). For astronomical observation sessions which are held twice a month, call information. Take a bus from JR Chuo line Musashisakai Station, get off at Tenmondai-mae / 0422-34-3600

A waterwheel, spinning continuously for as long as 160 years Shinguruma (a waterwheel), which has a 4.8 meters diameter, had been spinning as a driving force for fourteen pestles, hand mills, and lifts for 160 years since 1808. Its complicated features remain as they used to be, and it has been designated as a municipal cultural property along with the neighboring old house of the Minegishi family. Open to public on the first and third Sundays every month. Call and make a reservation at 0422-40-9669 (Machi-zukuri Mitaka) 6-10-15 Osawa, Mitaka-shi

Zenrin-ji temple, where the graves of Dazai Osamu and Mori Ogai are located Dazai Osamu (1909 - 1948), an author representing the early 20th century in Japan lived in Mitaka between 1939 and 1948, when he committed suicide in Tamagawa River. Mori Ogai (1862 - 1922) is also an literary man who introduced Western literature to Japan. The graves of these two leading figures in the literature school are located in this temple face to face, where their fans from all over the country come and visit on their memorial days (June 19 and July 9). Also a monument to the memory of Mori Ogai, designed by a well known architect Taniguchi Yoshiro, and the tea ceremony room, Musei-an, are located here. Musei-an is available for public use for tea ceremonies. 4-18-20 Shimorenjaku, Mitaka-shi / 0422-44-8365 10 min. walk from JR Chuo line Mitaka Station, or take a bus, get off at Hachiman-mae.