Discovering the Attractive Qualities of Shinagawa!

Shinagawa area

The Shinagawa area has maintained both an old atmosphere as a lodging town built around a shukuba (post station) and a progressive office town as the bay area is developed. In this issue we spotlight Higashi-Shinagawa Kaijo Park—an office town oasis by the waters—and Shinagawa Library.

Feel the Sea Breeze while Gazing Up at the Spacious Sky
Higashi-Shinagawa Kaijo Park

Higashi-Shinagawa Kaijo Park is situated where the Meguro River pours into the Tennozu-minami Canal. The park sandwiches Tennozu-minami Canal, covering Tennozu and Minami-Shinagawa, with a bridge over the canal linking the two areas.
There are grassy areas and many flowerbeds in the park, and you can see watching various flowers in bloom year-round. There is a flower promenade on the rooftop garden where you can enjoy flowers with each season. Dahlias and salvias bloom in the fall, and the autumn colors and Japanese pampas grass make the atmosphere particularly pleasant. You can also enjoy a panorama of high-rise buildings in Tennozu from the rooftop garden. Since the garden is open until nine p.m., you’ll have a beautiful night view as well.
The park is right by the water, so you can take a leisurely stroll along the canal boardwalk while viewing the flowers, and relax by gazing up at the spacious sky as the sea breeze refreshes you. If you’re lucky, you might see some seabirds.
The park has a pond where you can observe living creatures and plants, a fountain plaza, a small stream where children can play and playground equipment, including a slide in the shape of a whale. You can enjoy with your small children.

Greenery and Flower Volunteers Higashi-Shinagawa Kaijo Park is recruiting volunteers to help care for the flowerbeds at the rooftop garden. Anyone who lives, works or goes to school in Shinagawa City is welcome to join. There are also lectures once a month. Please contact the Maintenance Office for more information. Tel: 3471-3696 Address: 2-6-22 and 3-9-21 Higashi-Shinagawa How to get there: About an eight-minute walk from Tennozu Isle Station on the Tokyo Monorail or Rinkai Line, or a fifteen-minute walk from Keikyu Shinbanba Station north exit or Aomonoyokocho Station. Bicycle parking lots and parking lots (fee charged for the latter) are available.

This Is the Place to Enjoy Autumn Reading
Shinagawa Library

Shinagawa Library is the central facility of the city’s ten libraries. Established in 1923, it is also the most spacious, and has a foreign-language section stocked with books in English, Chinese and Korean.
The library has about 322,000 volumes in its general collection, about 85,000 children’s books, 345 periodicals, about 14,000 CDs, and a total of around 7,000 videos and DVDs. Of these, 4,564 books in the general collection and 642 children’s books are in foreign languages. There are also three English-language periodicals and two English-language newspapers available.
Computers for browsing are available in the library, and there’s also seating for you to bring in your own computer.
Please note that you’ll need a library card to borrow or reserve library materials. Please bring a valid official ID (such as a special permanent resident certificate or residence card; a passport is not acceptable) with your name, address and date of birth to your local Shinagawa City library. You can register for a Shinagawa City library card even if you don’t live, work or go to school in the city, and the card can be used at any Shinagawa City library.
Other library services include storytelling for children, as well as Braille and audio books for the disabled.