Best Gardens and Parks in Tokyo, by Season

Tokyo's green spaces split into two kinds. The old stroll gardens were built for feudal lords in the Edo period: ponds, paths, framed views, a small entry fee and a 5pm close. The big parks are free and casual, and on a sunny weekend they fill up with picnics. Which one you want depends on the season and on whether you want quiet or a crowd.

The old gardens

Rikugien (Komagome). Laid out in 1702 around scenes from classical poetry. It's the best garden in Tokyo for autumn colour, from mid-November into early December, and it usually has evening openings then. ¥300.

Koishikawa Korakuen (near Tokyo Dome). Begun in 1629, the oldest surviving garden in the city, with Chinese touches such as a full-moon bridge. Plum in February, irises in June, maples in November. ¥300.

Hamarikyu (Shiodome). A former shogun's hunting ground on the bay, with a seawater pond that rises and falls with the tide and office towers behind it. The tea house on the island in the pond serves matcha and a sweet. ¥300.

Kiyosumi Teien (Kiyosumi-Shirakawa). A small garden built around stones brought from all over Japan. Thirty minutes is enough. ¥150. The neighbourhood's coffee shops are a short walk away; see best coffee in Tokyo.

The big parks

Shinjuku Gyoen. A Japanese garden, a French formal garden and an English landscape garden in one park, with a long cherry season because of the number of varieties. ¥500, closed Mondays, no alcohol. That rule is the reason to pay: hanami here is calm, not a party.

Yoyogi Park (Harajuku). Free, next to Meiji Shrine, and busiest on weekend afternoons, with picnics, musicians and dance groups practising. Buy food at a convenience store and find some grass.

Ueno Park. The museum park: Tokyo National Museum, the science museum, the zoo, Shinobazu Pond with its summer lotus. In cherry blossom season it becomes the city's biggest drinking party under the trees. Go early if you want to walk rather than sit.

Inokashira Park (Kichijoji). A pond with rowing and swan boats, the shopping streets of Kichijoji next door, and the Ghibli Museum on the edge of the park (tickets in advance only).

By season

• Late March to early April, cherry blossoms: Shinjuku Gyoen for calm, Ueno for the party, Chidorigafuchi for the moat walk. See cherry blossom Japan 2026.
• June: irises at Koishikawa Korakuen.
• Summer: Hamarikyu for the breeze off the bay; Shinobazu Pond for lotus.
• Mid-November to early December: Rikugien and Koishikawa Korakuen for maples, Shinjuku Gyoen for ginkgo. See autumn Japan 2026.
• February: plum at Koishikawa Korakuen (about 90 trees) and Hanegi Park in Setagaya (about 650).

Three less obvious ones

Meguro Sky Garden. A park on the roof of a highway junction, a roughly 400m loop above the traffic. Free.

Institute for Nature Study (Shirokanedai). A patch of Tokyo left close to wild, with a cap on how many people can be inside at once. ¥320.

Todoroki Valley (Setagaya). A wooded gorge with a stream and a path about 1km long, in the middle of a residential area. Free.

FAQ

Are Tokyo parks free? The big parks are. The Edo-period gardens charge ¥150–¥300, and Shinjuku Gyoen ¥500.

Can I drink in Tokyo parks? In Yoyogi, Ueno and Inokashira, yes. Shinjuku Gyoen bans alcohol.

Where should I go for cherry blossoms? Shinjuku Gyoen if you want quiet, Ueno if you want to see hanami at full volume.