Shinjuku Gyoen is an Oasis in Mid Tokyo
If you are in Tokyo in sakura season, Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden is an amazing place to enjoy Japanese hanami (cherry blossom viewing), where about 1000 cherry trees cover the grounds with a variety of shades of pink. During summer, Shinjuku Gyoen Park is a sanctuary from central Tokyo’s heat, while during winter, a more peaceful, quiet feel is still appealing for visitors. Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden is so unlike its crowded surrounding streets, that once you get past the turnstiles, it is almost like stepping out of the city into a quieter, older realm.
Located right outside of a bustling commercial area of western Shinjuku, Shinjuku Gyoen Garden is one of the best places in Tokyo to see cherry blossoms. For just 500 yen, you can enter the Shinjuku Gyoen Garden in town. A walk around this peaceful, colourful garden is a highlight of a Tokyo road trip any time of the year.
How to Enjoy the Massive Park
Visit year-round for a serene experience in the artful landscapes in this oasis inside of one of the largest cities in the world. For the landscape enthusiast, there is a sizable tropical greenhouse, and three styles of gardens (French formal, English landscape, and Japanese traditional), along with extensive informal areas for exploring. The parks other major gardens include the French Formal, with its symmetrical layout, and English Landscape, with its large, open meadows, flanked by blooming cherry trees.
Other trees found here include a majestic Himalayan Cedar that towers over other trees at Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden, as well as Tulip Trees, Cypress Trees, and Plane Trees that were planted for the first time in Japan at the Imperial Gardens. The Garden has over 20,000 trees, including about 1,500 cherry trees, that flower in late March (Shidare, or weeping cherry) through early April (Sai, or Tokyo cherry), then in late April (Kanzan Cherry). Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden is a large park and garden located in Shinjuku and Shibuya, Tokyo, Japan.
It is as if you had left Japan — it was never imagined by Shingo that a place like Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden could exist in the heart of Tokyo. While Yoyogi Park, the Imperial Palace, and other temples and shrines all provide green spaces, none of the parks on Yoyogi could compare to Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden. In Japan’s traditional garden, the well-kept grassy area is the prime picnic spot (convenient, too, considering that bento boxes and other snacks can be picked up at Shinjuku prior to entering), while paths wind around ponds, across bridges, and past fascinating tea houses.
Access & Information of Shinjuku Gyoen
| Trains | Station | Walk |
| Metro Fukutoshin Line | Shinjuku Sanchome E-5 Exit | 5 minutes |
| Toei Metro Shinjuku Line | Shinjuku Sanchome C1/C5 Exit | 5 minutes |
| Seibu Shinjuku Line | Seibu Shinjuku | 7 minutes |
| Bus | Stop |
| Toei Bus 品97 From Shinagawa Station | Shinjuku 1cho-me |
| Toei Bus 早77 From JR Shinjuku Station | Shinjuku Isetan Mae |
Ticket Price:
Adult: 500yen
Seniors: 250yen
Student: 250yen
Children (Under 15): Free
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