Guide to enjoying trees

The Tama Forest Science Garden has seven hectares of botanical woodlands. (One hectare is 100 square meters- the size of a baseball field.) Both foreign and domestic trees have been planted here since the mid-1920s. As of 2013, there are 3,500 trees of about 500 species here, including trees growing naturally.

The Science Garden's botanical woodlands are divided into Arboretum No. 1, which is a long-established botanical woodland area; Arboretum No. 2, which also serves as an access route to the Cherry Tree Preservation Forest; and Arboretum No. 3, which was originally an experimental forest that grew trees for the timber industry.

The Cherry Tree Preservation Forest has not only many cherry trees planted but also many kinds of trees and shrubs that grow naturally, and many people visit during the cherry-blossom season. On Tsurifunesou-dori, you can see trees such as Parabenzoen praecox, which grow along moutain streams, and on Tomi-dori, you can see the Japanese nutmeg trees among others.

You would have to climb the road up a hill to get to Arboretum No. 3;however, you can observe satoyama plants there in the peace and quiet.(satoyama is an undeveloped woodland near a popular area.)

Arboretum No. 3 used to be a specimen forest planted mainly with conifers, such as Picea koyamae and loblolly pine, but it has sustained severe typhoon damage in resent years.