The other way round: Ota Central Wholesale Market and Tokyo Port Wild Bird Park, I 東京港野鳥公園

 

This week, I divert a bit from Kanagawa to tell you my adventure in Tokyo. As long as I know, Kanagawa does not have such forest. I think not many forests with similar stories exist in Japan. Why is this place so unique? It’s because the forest is completely man-made, including its ground. Or, I should say at least the beginning of the place was artificial some 60 years ago. The climate of Tokyo gave ecological succession, which has given the biota there a “natural” forest. Don’t you think it’s interesting? It’s an ultimate “Nature Positive” place where a collaboration of nature and humans is still on-going. The name of the place is Tokyo Port Wild Bird Park 東京港野鳥公園.

First, the location. Tokyo Port Wild Bird Park is in Ota Ward of Tokyo, embracing Ota Central Wholesale Market which is more or less next to the Haneda International Airport. Toyosu Market is world-famous with lots of touristic attractions, but for ordinary Japanese living in coastal area of Tokyo, Kawasaki, and Yokohama, Ota Market is the place where vegetables, et al come from. As such Ota Market is BIG. The Park is encircling this huge wholesale market. The geographical feature is exactly due to the origin of the place. More to it later. To go there, please take a commuter bus from Shinagawa or Omori Station. From Shinagawa Station, take Metropolitan Bus Shina-98 品-98 and get off at Daitō-Ōi-Butsuryū Center (Mon-Sat) or Ota Market North (holidays) and walk 5-15 minutes. There are more services from Omori Station by Keikyu Bus, Mori 森 -24, 32, 36, 41, 43, 45, 47. Please get off at Wild Bird Park Stop or Tokyo Port Wild Bird Park Stop both of which stand 5 minutes’ walk distance from the Park Entrance. During your bus ride, you may feel uneasiness if this is the right way to visit a forest. Many passengers are working in Tokyo’s logistics center. The scenery from the bus window becomes more and more industrial. Never mind. Just get off the destination stop. Ota Market North, Wild Bird Park, and Tokyo Port Wild Bird Stops are facing the Park itself which suddenly appears as a mass of greenery within rows of warehouses. The journey may give you a very “Tokyo” experience.

One weekend winter morning,
I took a bus to the Park from
commuter bus gate 5 of Omori Station.
This Keikyu Bus route employs fuel cell cars.

Near the park, there is a huge warehouse of JR East.

Tokyo Port Wild Bird Park Stop.
The greenery on our right is the Park area.
The Park is circled by 8-lane industrial roads.

The notice board near the above stop says
“Park Entrance this way, 300m ahead.”
Just follow it.

We’ll find the gate.

The Wild Bird Park is now owned and operated by Tokyo Port Terminal Corporation. The entity’s origin was a public corporation for the development and management of Port of Tokyo. After several organizational transformations, in 2007 it became company limited. With this background, the entrance fee to the Park is free for kids in elementary school or younger. If a 7-9th grader studies in Tokyo, s/he can use the facility free of charge. Adults pay 300 yen at the ticket booth, but on every October 1 entrance is free for all as this is the day for Citizens of Tokyo. The management of the Park is done by Terminal Corporation, but the operation of Nature Centre in the Park is by Japan Wild Bird Society. So, the facilities here for bird watching is, I would say, excellent. The data gathered and published from Wild Bird Park is also very interesting. If you’re a birdwatcher and in Tokyo with some reason, this is the place you can come at least once. It is closed every Monday and New Year holidays. Otherwise, the place opens 9:00-17:00 (February - October) or 9:00-16:30 (November – January).

From the gate, walk up this slope,
which is, by the way,
a completely artificial geographical feature.

At the end of the entrance
there is an admin office with ticket booths.

The panel explaining how to for the usage of the park,
 with English translation.
The place has parking spaces.

Tickets are sold by vending machines.

Entering the Park.
Before going through the gate,
Park volunteers check your ticket.

The Park is “divided” by a wide industrial road coming in Ota Market from the north. Hmmm, I think this expression may give you an impression the human activity destroyed the original wild forest for economic activity … actually the story is completely the other way around. I tell you about it next week. Well, so, the Park has two sections: West and East. West Park is smaller and contains rice paddies and veggie patches where volunteers engage in organic farming. This section also allows kids to catch and release insects with nets lent by the management office at the entrance. i.e. West Park has more facilities for human activity, and, I would say, is “garden-like.” East Park has Nature Center where rangers of the Wild Bird Society are resident. East Park directly faces Tokyo Bay and has tidal flat. I had an impression the area is more “forest-like.”. Let me continue the next week why the East and West are like that. Please stay tuned!

Ota Market, a Sunday morning

West and East Parks are connected by
 a long bridge that goes over the Market.

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 by clicking the bottom line of their homepage at
https://www.tptc.co.jp/support/contact/park/yatyo