There’s a reason that Shinjuku Gyoen is one of the most-visited gardens in Tokyo—there’s something spectacular happening all year long. This garden is huge, but every part of it is immaculately designed—around every turn is a new vista just begging your camera to click its shutter, or a lawn inviting you to kick back and forget that you’re surrounded by skyscrapers!
February
From the first awakenings of spring in February, the formal Japanese garden delights with the plum grove bursting into bloom…
and around the big central lawn, both red and white plums bring some color to the winter world.
But we don’t have to wait long for more!
March
Shinjuku Gyoen is one of the first places you can see cherry trees bursting into glorious bloom, with the kanzakura putting on a show as early as mid-March before the lawns are even green…
The weeping varieties start flinging around streamers of pink about the third week in March.
And that’s before the main event kicks in!
When Shinjuku Gyoen’s wide lawns are lined with frothy trees…
and the perfect pinkness is reflected in its many ponds…
even the Japanese garden gets in on the action.
April
And as the classic single somei yoshino variety graciously gives way to the lush late-blooming yaezakura…
and the petals begin to fall…
it draws flower-lovers from all over the world from mid-March to mid-April. Shinjuku Gyōen is unmatched in number and size of blooming trees, making it one of the most gorgeous (and visited) parks in Tokyo.
And lucky for us, we don’t have to be sad when the cherries are over, because the azaleas come into their own at the end of April.
As the park warms toward summer, there’s no more relaxing place to catch a nap…
and the shadows of the rare trees near the Chinese pavilion finally get their turn in the spotlight.
The park begins to put on its fall colors from mid-October on, starting with the cherry trees and maples
November
Chrysanthemums begin to appear around the park as the leaves turn…
leading up to the astonishing displays of bonsai chrysanthemums set up throughout the park for the month of November. Believe it or not, each of these monsters is one plant!
As fall dips into winter, the leaves just get better and better…
…and the park remains a soul-restoring oasis amid the crazy neon of Shinjuku
Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden
Hours: 9:00 – 17:00
Open: Every day
Admission: ¥500
Visitor alert: If you’re planning to see Shinjuku Gyoen during peak cherry blossom season, you’ll need to book your tickets and time in advance. Here’s where to do that, and how to get in if they’re all sold out. And be forewarned: during cherry blossom season, picnicking is allowed, but booze is not. Visitors (including those with pre-booked tickets) must line up in a big Disney maze in front of the gates while guards search bags before entry. If they suspect something is alcohol, it does get confiscated before you can go in.
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And here are the other places I take my friends when they come to town
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Jonelle Patrick writes novels set in Japan, produces the monthly e-magazine Japanagram, and blogs at Only In Japan and The Tokyo Guide I Wish I’d Had
Jonelle Patrick writes about Japan 