Early summer, before the rains arrive and the squadrons of mosquitoes hatch, is a blissful time to stroll Tokyo's formal gardens.
I launch off in search of one I've heard of in Toshima Ward, near Mejiro Station. The Yamanote Line stop has no connecting trains and its single exit opens onto a modest smattering of restaurants and shops. The vibe is made lively by students on lunch break from nearby Gakushuin University, the alma mater of Yoko Ono, Yukio Mishima, and more than a few members of the Imperial family.
Crossing Mejiro-dori, I choose a narrow lane that leads away from the commercial zone, but pause to peer into Lunco, a small shop that looks part vintage kimono dealer and part art museum. Owner and curator Ranko Nagata, 68, informs me I've got it right. Several times a year, she organizes artistic exhibitions of the shop's merchandise and items she has collected, centered on a specific theme.