Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden

Overview

Shinjuku Gyoen is a sprawling 144-acre national garden in the heart of Tokyo combining three distinct garden styles — Japanese traditional, English landscape, and French formal — into one of the city's finest green spaces.

Highlights

• Cherry Blossoms: Over 1,000 cherry trees of 65 varieties create one of Tokyo's finest hanami spots, with different species blooming from February through April.
• Japanese Garden: A perfectly composed traditional landscape garden with a central pond, tea house, arched bridges, and carefully sculpted pine trees.
• Greenhouse: A beautiful Victorian-style tropical greenhouse containing over 1,700 plant species from subtropical regions.

History

Originally the estate of the powerful Naito feudal clan during the Edo period, it was converted into an Imperial Garden in 1906. Severely damaged by WWII air raids, it was rebuilt and opened to the public in 1949.

Visitor Tips

• No Alcohol: Unlike most Tokyo parks, alcohol is strictly prohibited — making it a far more peaceful hanami experience than Ueno or Yoyogi Park.
• Fall Colors: The garden is equally spectacular in late November when the maples, ginkgos, and cypresses explode in autumn color.
• Duration: 1.5–2 hours.