We enter the Wild Bird Park from only one gate. In front of the ticket booth on our right we find small another entrance. (The map of the Park in English is here.) It leads us to the main part of West Park where rice paddies and a small freshwater pond locate and volunteers are active for tending the place. There are two observation-hides by the pond for bird watching. Also kids can ask the admin office to borrow an insect net and a cage to hunt butterflies et al around the rice paddies, provided they release their catch after the observation. (Private nets and cages are prohibited.) Even though we had “semi-draught” this winter, the pond kept water and small flocks of migratory water birds stayed here over the winter. As the West Park was opened first in the making of Wild Bird Park, the reclaimed ground here could be the most stable.
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| Admin Office with ticket booths |
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| The entrance to main part of West Park |
Turning left in front of the ticket booth, there is a wide lawn field with a pergola. This is also a part of West Park. The space is surrounded by probably planted trees of garden variety and a chimney that is for venting the gas from underground, i.e. the foundation material for reclamation = ancient garbage of Tokyo. Including this space, the paths for the West Park are all more or less flat and easy to walk, including for wheelchair users. The atmosphere of the place is open and incredibly relaxed. It’s easy to forget we’re in the middle of big warehouses for Tokyo. Though, at the south-east corner of the open field we are suddenly reminded our neighbor is Ota Wholesale Market for Megalopolises stomach. There, a long bridge passes over the industrial road entering the Market. We have to cross it to arrive the East Park.
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| Open field |
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| The road circling the open lawn field |
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| The bridge is big and long. |
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| The beginning of East Park |
East Park is larger with a substantial mass of water, fresh or otherwise. Before opening the entire area of East Park in 2018, the Metropolitan Government did massive civil engineering work to stabilize the water area. When I’ve been there this winter, I could not see the erosion from the sea to the park. Rather, because of the draught, the freshwater pond was almost dried up. The rangers for Wild Bird Society of Japan told us this winter they could not record meaningful visit of water birds there. That’s sad. The area for freshwater ponds in East Park is large. It also situates almost side-by-side with the sea water of Tokyo Bay. I imagine environmental wise the biota of East Park is very interesting. The dry grasses in the freshwater area were still common reeds and bulrush. The existence of Chines silver grass was limited … no serious aridification yet. Let us keep crossing our fingers the wetland there remains even with the climate change …
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| All
dried up this winter for the freshwater pond in the East Park |
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| The freshwater part and tidal pond, sitting side by side |
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| The tidal pond |
The strolling path in East Park from the bridge is more or less one way. It should be difficult to lose. There are several work paths branching out from this wide road. Such roads are close to the public with barricade, but a couple of days in a year the Park hold events for the visitors to enter the path, including the Bay shore, circling the entire East Park. Please check their HP if you’re curious about the event. Still, walking the year-round open way is interesting enough to experience the “man-made natural” forest. Some of the trees are apparently horticulturally planted, but the majority sprouted some 50 years ago and has grown big this much by 2026. The undergrowth is also “wild.” There are some patches where it looks the management tried to make this route “elegant park way” but the power of weeds easily overrode the human intention. The road itself is wide enough and well managed for a pickup truck would come and go, i.e. wheelchair users can come. Normally our neighborhood is hilly. Handicapped people are often denied access to enjoy the forest. Not here!
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| It’s
impressive these trees naturally came out decades ago … |
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| The “wild” forest surrounds the tidal pond. |
Along the open path in East Park, there are 4 observation hides/blinds for birdwatching. All are sturdy wooden structure facing to the water. However, this winter due to the draught, East Observation Blind to the freshwater pond did not work as the intended site. *Sigh* The other 3 points are all facing water connected to Tokyo Bay. You can come here and stay as much as you like to admire birds. Caution: the entire Park is popular for birdwatchers in Megalopolis Tokyo. Securing a nice seat in any observation hide could be a matter of fierce competition. Please be polite to your fellow watchers whichever camera and lenses you carry. Thank you. 😊
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| A
sight from Maehama Tidal Flats Observation Blind. This body of water is really Tokyo Bay. |
Yet, one of the most comfortable birdwatching hide is in a big building that is Nature Center standing on the shore of the tidal ponds. This is the place where the Wild Bird Society stations. It also has nice toilets, vending machines for snacks, lots of educational displays for the nature of Wild Bird Park, and a playroom for toddlers to crawl around. Moreover, inside has powerful air-conditioning, i.e. cool during boiling summer and warm in dead winter. It has very large glass windows that make us possible sitting on comfy benches to observe the entire tidal ponds. Wheelchair users also can birdwatch there without bumping shoulders with others. I’ve been there in January and found the arrangement super comfortable. Yeah, it is no-no to have lunch on observation benches, but inside the building there is a corner where we can open our sandwiches. Also, there is no time restriction to sit. It seems to me the regulars of bazooka-sized camera lenses situate themselves by the window and wait for a long time to capture “this” moment of osprey, etc. hunting over the tidal pool. Knowing enough technique to refine the photo taken in this condition, it can produce a satisfactory picture of birds, I guess.
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| The Main Entrance to Nature Center |
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| Inside |
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| A
photo I took from the building. Could you see there is a bird resting on the post over there? |
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| I’ve
found a Siberian sand plover from the room. It was cute. |
So, the birdwatching Park artificially created for a wholesale market provides us with completely artificial observational blind to admire nature. Er, I know. You will say the point for enjoying forest is to feel winds rustling trees while smelling the air. Yup. But sitting for hours to wait for a small bird to come does not have to require endurance game, don’t you think? Anyway, this is the season for Sandpipers and Plovers in Wild Bird Park. On May 17, the Park will have an annual festival for families to enjoy. Some of the programs, like free distribution of blueberry saplings, require reservation. The acceptance of reservation starts on May 8th. Please check their HP for detail. Oh, one more thing. Tokyo has another seaside park with a similar story near the border to Chiba Prefecture. If you’re interested in the place, please try. The name of the Park is Tokyo Metropolitan Kasai Marine Park 葛西臨海公園.
Tokyo Port Wild Bird Park 東京港野鳥公園管理事務所
3-1 Tokai, Ota Ward, Tokyo, 143-0001
〒143-0001 東京都大田区東海3-1
Phone: 03-3799-5031
FAX: 03-3799-5032
You can send an enquiry to them from here: https://www.tptc.co.jp/support/contact/park/yatyo
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