Tokyo area in December - recommendations? (3 Viewers)

[seidelarts]

Hi all,

I'm heading to Tokyo this December. Sadly not a birding trip, but I do plan to take some time out for that - anyone able to recommend good locations?

Ideally, I'd be looking for part-day sites within public transport access from central Tokyo, and with a bias towards places that allow relatively close, photography-friendly views (versus, say, scoping out distant ducks in a bay - not that I'd turn down a good site for that!). I'd love to see Baikal Teal and Mandarin Duck especially...

Thanks!

 

[foresttwitcher]

Not a photographer but I visited the Imperial Palace Gardens & Yoyogi Koen (Park) - both very accessible by train and fairly birdy in late February.

If you are on Facebook, try searching for and joining Kantori (an English language birding community) as there will be locals on there that will be able to help.

 

[Andrew Whitehouse]

I'd recommend Kasai-Rinkai Park, which is easy to reach by train from central Tokyo:

æ±æ¸å·åº--è西è¨æµ·å¬åã»è西海æµå¬å (Edogawa Ward--Kasai Rinkai Park / Kasai Kaihin Park), Edogawa City, Tokyo, Japan - eBird Hotspot

ebird.org

 

[seidelarts]

Thanks for the suggestions! Added to the list.

 

[kb57]

I'd agree with @foresttwitcher - Eastern Palace Gardens and moat are probably worth a visit if you are in the area, the latter certainly photography-friendly as waterfowl can be seen at close range. I'm not sure you'd be that excited by the gadwall which was surprisingly attracting a lot of attention from bird photographers when I was there though, but falcated duck are regularly recorded.

 

[Koji Tagi]

Try Shinjuku-gyoen for both Baikal Teal and Mandarin Duck, though they hide in the shade sometimes.

For Mandarin Duck, the following spot is easily accessible by Tokyu Line via Shibuya and Aobadai.

Narayama Koen: 35°33'15.5"N 139°29'12.2"E

For Baikal Teal, the following spot is easily accessible by Odakyu Line via Shinjuku.

35°29'13.3"N 139°24'14.8"E

maps.app.goo.gl

 

[Trinovid]

A couple places already mentioned are Yoyogi kouen (easy walking distance just south of Shinjuku), Koukyo (imperial palace), Nishi-Kasai (over in Chiba), Ueno kouen (next to Ueno station), and also Yasukuni Jinja (very expansive).
If you're near Tokyo and Kanda you might check the trees down in Yuurakuchou and along the river banks over in Naka Meguro (between Shinagawa and Ebisu.

For best communications try to ask for help saying the place name in Japanese and not English. Some people in Japan won't know these place names in English, but everyone will know them in Japanese.