Musashino offers several distinct reasons to stay: works by sculptor Kitamura Seibō in a sculpture garden, an exhibition on university history, cultural and natural monuments designated by the city, and Inokashira Park with its pond and changing seasons. If you want to give culture and scenery different weight in your travel plans, you’ll find individual points of interest related to art and history, as well as a park and a place for children to play. These places appeal to different interests; you can make your choice according to the focus you want.

Sculptures and University History

The sculpture garden features around 200 works by sculptor Kitamura Seibō, displayed outdoors and in Sculpture Halls A and B and the studio building. If you’re interested in sculpture, this is a clear focus, distinct from the exhibition on university history.

The exhibition at the Nippon Veterinary and Life Science University Museum focuses on institutional history: it covers the university from its founding as a private veterinary school to the present day, using museum materials and photographs. The focus, then, is not on a single work but on the university’s development. This offers a distinct cultural perspective alongside sculpture.

Places with Their Own Cultural Heritage

At Kannon-in, the focus is on a single historic artifact: the oldest stone Buddha in Musashino, a statue of Amitabha Buddha erected in 1682. The city designates the statue as a tangible cultural property. On the grounds of Kizuki Taisha is a miniature Mount Fuji, designated a historic monument by the City of Musashino. Also on the grounds is the Senbon Ginkgo, designated a natural monument by the city. The two features on the grounds of Kizuki Taisha therefore have different designations, even though they are at the same named location: one is a historic monument and the other a natural monument. Together with the statue at Kannon-in, they illustrate different forms of heritage designated by the city. If you’re specifically looking for local cultural heritage, you can choose between a statue, a miniature Mount Fuji, and a tree.

Parkland and Play

Tokyo Metropolitan Inokashira Park offers a contrasting landscape. A pond surrounded by nature defines the park, with changing scenery throughout the seasons. While the cultural sites highlight individual artworks or designated historic features, the focus here is the pond landscape and its seasonal changes. If you want to include nature as well as culture in your travel plans, the seasonal character is a specific factor to consider when choosing when to stay.

Musashino Playpark is a place where children can play in nature and create things themselves. Activities include climbing trees and building with tools according to their own ideas. These examples involve both physical activity and making things independently, so the focus here differs from that of exhibitions and monuments. If you also want to consider activities for children when making your choice, playing and building offer a distinct focus.

Discover more destinations: Suginami, Bunkyō, Hamura, Tachikawa, Toshima, Chiyoda, Nakano, Nozawa.

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