After attending a Japan Medical Association symposium, I crossed the crosswalk in front of the Japan Medical Association Hall and went to Rikugien, just across the street. I passed through the Naitei Daimon gate, gazed at Horai Island, and crossed Chidori Bridge. Past the Fukiage teahouse, you reach Togetsu Bridge. At the rest area near Deshio-no-minato, I had Uji Kintoki shaved ice. Matcha-colored shaved ice served in a stylish vessel like a matcha tea bowl. It was topped generously with azuki beans, with matcha powder sprinkled on top of that. The azuki beans hold their shape, yet no skins are left in your mouth. The matcha powder gives off its aroma, and together with the chill of the shaved ice it brings a sense of coolness.

It feels like the spot with the most open view in Rikugien. Horai Island floating on the left, and in front of you the central island with Imoyama and Seyama. The sight of them floating in the Daisensui is dreamlike. Apparently it reflects the scenery of Wakanoura in Kishu from the poem "At Wakanoura, as the tide rises with the rising moon, how lonely the voices of the cranes crying in the night," and it truly is a place where you feel a stillness of heart, as if eagerly awaiting the moonrise.

The scenery from here feels rich in nature and is wonderful. The explanatory sign says: "Deshio-no-minato At Waka-no-ura, before the tide rises with the rising moon, how lonely the voices of the cranes crying in the night 'Rikugien-ki' 'Deshio' refers to boats waiting for high tide to enter the harbor (port), but it also carries the feeling of waiting, as evening falls, for the moon to rise over the sea. In Japanese gardens such as Katsura Imperial Villa, the 'moon' has long been cherished, and Rikugien also has many place names derived from the moon. Also, the white building behind is a storehouse associated with the Iwasaki family. The Iwasaki family residence was once nearby, and this seems to have been an important vantage point for viewing the garden. From here you can enjoy the garden with no buildings in sight." That's what it says.

A spot with superb views even within Rikugien You can look out over the whole pond The scenery changes with the height of the sun Never boring even at night

Beyond the dense grove of trees, the tranquil pond shore appears, opening onto a wide, grand vista. In the Daisensui, the pond likened to the sea, the calm-watered Deshio-no-minato has an air of captured stillness. Touching the silence, a calming time flows at Deshio-no-minato.