Shinjuku Gyoen: the National Garden and Park in Tokyo
Travel to the Tokyo’s best garden and park Shinjuku Gyoen
- +0 50
-
-
Shinjuku Gyoen (新宿御苑), one of the largest and most popular parks and gardens in Tokyo, is a Tokyo’s oasis with lots of greenery while it is located in the center of the metropolitan area Shinjuku. There are some types of gardens such as Japan traditional and French one in the park, and you can see beautiful cherry blossoms in spring and autumn leaves in autumn. Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden is the best green spot to escape the noise of the city and enjoy nature in Tokyo!
Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden has been loved for the long time. The site of the park was owned by the powerful Japanese feudal lords around the 16th century: Hideyoshi Toyotomi and Ieyasu Tokugawa. The first garden was founded in 1772 by a feudal lord of the Edo period. And then, Shinjuku Gyoen was completed in 1906, however, it was burnt down in 1945 for the World War II. Four years later, the revived park was open to the public, and the current Shinjugu Gyoen has been visited by numerous domestic and international people since then.
*Please note that this article contains affiliate links.
3 gardens in Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden
There are three types of gardens: Japanese landscape garden, English landscape garden and French garden.
Japanese Traditional Garden
The quiet Japanese traditional style garden is designed along the ponds slowly flowing. There are some historical buildings in Shinjuku Gyoen, and the Japanese Traditional Garden has the most treasured one Kyugoryotei (旧御凉亭). Japanese plums and cherry blossoms colors the park in spring and maple leaves are tinted in autumn.
English Landscape Garden
One of the reasons why so many people visit the Shinjuku Gyoen Park is the vast expense of lawns in English Landscape Garden area. You can lie about and see the skyscrapers in Shinjuku downtown at the wide open space. The landscape pf the garden looks like New York City’s Central Park and Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden is also known as Tokyo’s Central Park.
French Formal Garden
The third face of Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden is French Formal Garden which is beautifully designed in a symmetric way. A bed of flowers including about 500 roses is centered at the garden, and over 150 plane trees stands along the both sides of the flowerbed.
▽More details about the cherry blossom season at Shinjuku Gyoen▽
▽Starbucks store has opened in Shinjuku Gyoen!▽
In addition to the gardens and seasonal flowers, Shinjuku Gyoen has more facilities such as a greenhouse, tea houses and a restaurant. You can take a break with various food menu at the restaurant: from Tonkatsu (pork cutlet) and Udon noodle to pasta and curry.
Shinjuku is much more famous for the red light district Kabukicho for nightlife and exciting spots like Robot Restaurant, however, relaxing at the rich nature spot is one of the best things to do in Shinjuku. For additional information, Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden inspired one of the popular Japanese anime film “The Garden of Words” by Makoto Shinkai, who is the director of “Your Name (Kimi no Na wa)”.
Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden
Information
 Access |
10 mins walk from South Exit of Shinjuku Station / 5 mins walk from Exit №1 of Shinjukugyoen-mae Station |
|---|---|
 Address |
11 Naitomachi, Shinjuku City, Tokyo 160-0014 |
 Business Hours |
9:00–16:00 |
 Closed |
Mondays and Dec 29th-Jan 3rd |
 Price |
500 JPY |
 Nearest station |
Shinjukugyoen-mae Station and Shinjuku Station |
Wanna go directly to Shinjuku from the airport?
Airport Taxi is one of the best services for transfer to and from Narita and Haneda Airport.
Now JWM readers have a 1,000JPY discount if they book with Airport Taxi!!
Coupon Code: JWM2023
If you are looking for more info about Shinjuku, check these articles below!
▽Related Articles▽
▼Editor’s Picks▼
Written by
I'm writing by my motto: helping travelers spend their limited time experiencing something priceless in Japan. My articles won't let you down! Living in Tokyo and traveling many popular and hidden sites all over Japan, I deliver well-selected and latest tourist information to you from the perspective of “100% Japanese local”. My specific interests are island hopping, eating countless bowls of ramen, watching anime and reading manga. Enjoy Japan Web Magazine for recommended food spots, hidden gems Japanese Otaku (geek) culture, and everything about Japan :)
- +0 50
-
-