🌸Secret place in Tokyo! A complete guide to the royal gardens in the downtown area🍀

If you think Tokyo is only about skyscrapers and neon lights, then you haven’t seen Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden yet. This 58-hectare oasis hidden in the bustling Shinjuku was once a residence granted by Tokugawa Ieyasu to his retainers. It later evolved into a royal garden and is now a "National Park". It is considered to be the most poetic representative of Japanese gardens in Tokyo and is known as the "spiritual backyard of urbanites"!

🌿 The beauty of Japanese gardens: Zen through Edo
The Japanese garden in Shinjuku Gyoen is a model of forest and spring wandering design. The winding stone path leads you through moss-covered lanterns, vermilion bridges and tranquil ponds, and every step is like walking into a Ukiyo-e painting. There are 75 rare species among the more than 1,500 cherry trees in the park, from the "winter cherry" in early spring to the "double red weeping" at the end of April. The layered shadows of the flowers are reflected on the surface of the pond, and you can almost hear the whispers of cherry blossom lovers.

🍁 Seasonal changes: See all Japanese aesthetics in one garden
All seasons here are "limited editions": spring cherry blossoms are like snow, summer shades cover the sun, autumn maples are like fire, and winter plum blossoms are proud of frost. Especially the maple scenery in late autumn - the red leaves and the golden color of French plane trees are intertwined, and every shot has the texture of a movie. Although the greenhouse is Western in style, the 2,400 tropical plants that bloom in the humid winter form a wonderful dialogue with the Japanese dry landscape.

⏰ Open from Tuesday to Sunday 9:00 - 16:30, closed on Monday (closed on holidays).
🚇 It is a 10-minute walk from the South Exit of JR Shinjuku Station, or a 5-minute direct access from Shinjuku Gyoenmae Station on the Marunouchi Line. It is recommended to enter the park from Sendagaya Gate, where there are few people and the scenery is quiet.

🈯️ The cherry blossom season (late March - April) and the chrysanthemum exhibition (November) are the most crowded. It is recommended to go there early in the morning or in the afternoon on weekdays to enjoy the tranquility. I went there early in the morning on the day I went shopping in Shinjuku, and I was able to catch the shops in Shinjuku opening at 10 o'clock.

🎬 A pilgrimage for movie fans
If you are a fan of The Garden of Words, you must go to the "Encounter Pavilion" and Wutong Avenue! The pavilion where the hero and heroine took shelter from the rain in the animation is still intact. During the rainy season, the stone pavement glows with light, and even the air is filled with the feeling of "faint thunder". Looking up at the Yoyogi Building outside the park, I suddenly couldn’t tell the boundary between reality and the second dimension.

The last little easter egg: Every April, the Japanese Prime Minister will hold a "Cherry Blossom Viewing Party" here. The lawn under your feet may have left footprints of dignitaries from various countries.

No matter how fast the pace of Tokyo is, you can still find your own "moment in the garden" here. Bring a picnic, a camera and a heart that wants to slow down, and go to Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden to explore the exquisiteness of Japanese gardens in the jungle of steel and concrete! ✨

#TokyoTravel #JapaneseNicheAttractions #HealingScenery #TokyoAttractions

Post by 月加半不等于胖 | Mar 4, 2025