TRAFFIC by Alma Reyes

TRAFFIC by Alma Reyes

A Walk in the Woods

Many of us have probably never spent so much time in the company of nature as we do today eversince the world turned upside down with the current pandemic. One discovery of nature’s secrets hides in Seta 4-chome Former Kosaka Ryokuchi Residence forest woods in Seta, Setagaya. The old house belonged to Junzo Kosaka, who served as director of the Shinano Bank and president of the Shinano Mainichi Shimbun, and later a member of the House of Representatives and a member of the House of Lords. Kosaka’s sons Zentaro Kosaka and Tokusaburo Kosaka, were former Foreign Minister and Minister of Transportation respectively, and his grandson Kenji Kosaka was also former Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology. Today, the residence stands as a villa of the Kosaka family, built in 1938, and has been designated as a cultural property by the Setagaya Ward. From the house on the cliff, stylized in Japanese Showa architecture, steps lead down to the forest park surrounded by huge trees, including bamboo trees, bushes, and flower patches. There is also a small pond in the lower ground and tables for resting or a picnic. It is said that Mt. Fuji can be seen from the highlands and spring water flows in the lowlands. It is almost unimaginable that such a vast forest can be found right in the middle of a residential neighborhood in Tokyo. If you are anywhere around Futako Tamagawa on the Denentoshi line, a walk in these woods is a truly refreshing experience and a healer for these troubled times.

Access: 20 minutes on foot from Yoga station, Denentoshi line or Bus to “Seikado Bunko” (Seikado Bunko Art Museum) from Futako Tamagawa station, Denentoshi line

Alma Reyes