If you're a fan of Japanese animation, particularly the work of Makoto Shinkai (5 Centimeters per Second), then you may be familiar with how The Garden of Words(言の葉の庭, Kotonoha no Niwa) beautifully depicts the Tokyo area. In particular, the dramatic animated feature shows off just how gorgeous Shinjuku Gyoen National Park can look, even during the humid and dreary Japanese rainy season in which the film takes place. The park is a fantastic place to relax, exercise, and of course partake in the Japanese tradition of hanami, or sakura viewing.

The visually stunning charm of Shinkai's themes has come to be his calling card in Japan. While almost perfectly replicating areas of Japan with breathtaking realism, he still presents them with the same kind of nostalgic charm that you would find in a Studio Ghibli film (many interviews and write-ups often compare him and Hayao Miyazaki), and so the films seem to speak to the memories of viewers on a very intimate level. The Garden of Words is no different, and the below images can really serve as spectacular proof of just how fine the line between art and life can be. Enjoy!

Scenes from the anime are featured on top.