Tokyo / Shinjuku / Garden

Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden

新宿御苑 しんじゅくぎょえん

An imperial garden of English lawns, French avenues and a Japanese pond — the finest cherry blossom and autumn colour in Tokyo.

EssentialNature · Seasonal · Quiet · Photogenic · With children

The Naito clan's estate became the imperial family's garden in 1906, laid out by a French designer with three styles side by side, and opened to the public in 1949. Fifty-eight hectares, two thousand cherry trees of sixty-five varieties that flower from February to late April, a plane-tree avenue, a greenhouse, a tea house on the pond, and — the reason it is the best hanami in the city — no alcohol, so no parties, only people sitting on the grass under the blossom. In November the maples around the Japanese pond are as good as Kyoto's. It closes on Mondays and at half past four; plan around both.

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A hand-drawn sketch for orientation — each place links to an exact map.
Tip
Enter at the Shinjuku gate and walk clockwise; leave by the Sendagaya gate for the quiet way out.
Best time
Opening time; late March to mid-April; late November.
Allow
120 min
Station
Shinjuku-gyoemmae (Marunouchi line), 5 minutes; Shinjuku, 10 minutes
Official site — hours, prices, closures
fng.or.jp/shinjuku · Map

Appears in

In this area: Shinjuku

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