The best Japanese gardens and parks in Tokyo

Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden

One of the most beautiful sceneries in Tokyo can be found in the Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden. This popular park in Tokyo is considered one of the most important parks in Japan from the Meiji era with thousands of trees from different regions of the world covering an impressive 58.3 hectares has varied strolling paths with the typical atmosphere Japan is renowned for.

A favorite Japanese pastime is the centuries old tradition of Hanami, which translates into flower viewing. And this park is a popular destination for it. This parks offers anything from calm paths past various ponds of water, to fantastic picnic sites between over 1500 cherry blossom trees which all come to blossom during the early spring. And maple trees coloring the park during the autumn. Which makes this park an ideal place to visually experience the ever changing seasons of Japan.

This park is actually one of the most appreciated cherry blossom parks in Tokyo and locals will spend their lunchtime to come here and appreciate them. A very typical trait of the Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden is that there are a lot of pathways over small streams of water ensuring relaxing and diverse paths with an amazing backdrop.

On occasion you will spot the skyscrapers of Tokyo above the horizon, creating some nice photo moments. In the north of the park the design naturally flows into a more French and English park design. Another notable feature of this park is the traditional Japanese tea house you will find here and the 15 meters tall greenhouse where tropical plants are put on display for you to enjoy.

This national park does has a small entrance fee, which is quite worth it if you want to enjoy a nice change of pace in the best reviewed traditional park in Tokyo. It is the best park in Tokyo for enjoying authentic Japanese landscape architecture.

Ueno park

Ueno park was the first public park of Japan. And it is often considered the cultural heart of Tokyo with a near infinite amount of recreational value. As the park is filled to the brim with activities it’s not as calm and natural as the other parks, but Ueno park is a wonderful place that you cannot miss when you visit Tokyo.

Ueno park is mostly known for housing the most interesting museums in Tokyo. You will find the Tokyo National Museum here, which is arguably the most important museum in Japan and spans five buildings, and the National Museum of Nature and Science. The Ueno Zoo can be found in this park, which is the oldest zoo in Japan and houses crocodiles, giraffes and even cute panda bears. The Ueno Zoo also has one of the architectural highlights of Tokyo, which is the prestigious five story Kan’ei-ji temple.

It’s also an excellent location for cherry blossom viewing, which can be found around the main pathway and across the pond. You can even rent a small boat to romantically enjoy the nature from the Shinobazu Pond, which is a pond filled to the brim with the typically Japanese lotus beds.

The park is also home to multiple religious shrines in traditional Japanese architecture, such as the beautiful centuries old Shinto shrine, called the Ueno Toshogu Shrine, and the Bentendo temple in the heart of the pond dedicated to the goddess of fortune.

At Meet The Cities we have grown a certain fondness of this park in Tokyo. And if you are on a cultural trip to Japan you will inevitably find yourself in this park as well.

Yoyogi Park

Yoyogi Park is an especially aesthetically pleasing park and a peaceful oasis in the heart of Tokyo. The park is often used as a gathering place of groups of people wanting to meet up in Tokyo and openly express themselves in a beautiful environment, such as martial artists and cosplayers. Street performers and rockabillies may be found here during the weekends. Elderly people exercising. And festivals are often celebrated here. It’s pretty much the hangout park of Tokyo.

The park itself is quite large and resembles a forest with a multitude of walking paths. In the south of the park there are many places to sit down at small fountains, where people can enjoy their lunch while enjoying the harmonious nature and rows of blossom trees. You will also find people skating and taking a stroll with their families.

To the north of the park you will find one of the highlights of Tokyo. Within the forest you will find the sacred Meiji Shrine, where the former Emperor Meiji is honored. When you visit the free Yoyogi Park in Tokyo then it’s a good idea to also visit the shrine to see how the Japanese honor their people.

Imperial Palace East Gardens

The emperor of Japan has it’s main residence in Tokyo. And behind the palace you will find a garden with old ruins and fortifications, such as the ruins of the old Edo Castle. Within the park you will also find the Museum of the Imperial Collections, which is a modest but free to visit museum containing items from the imperial household. The Imperial Palace East Gardens also contain the most famous bridge in Tokyo, the Seimon Ishibashi bridge, which leads to the main gate of the imperial palace. As you might have guessed this park will mostly appeal to the historical and cultural tourist.

The nature of the park is less refined than in some of the other parks, but still a joy to experience. The park has large open green areas between walking paths, where you can take a nice relaxing stroll surrounded by trees. In the north west of the park you will find several trails with plants from across Japan, which is especially charming next to the pond in the Ninomaru area.

Kiyosumi Garden

Kiyosumi Garden is one of the smaller parks, with beautiful natural environmental architecture. As in typical Japanese fashion you are led past a small lake with large orange carps in it, ducks and even turtles. A defining feature of this park is that natural rocks from across Japan were placed on the side of the lake adding to the authentic atmosphere. On several places you have to walk over carefully placed natural stones to get across the water or over the grass.

The park is a little gem in the heart of Tokyo and perfect for escaping the busy city life and getting some breath of fresh air. If you stay in Tokyo for a longer period of time then this picturesque garden in Tokyo is a nice little catch to explore if you are looking for a place to clear your head. The garden comes with a Japanese teahouse where visitors can drop by.

Shiba park

Next to the landmark Tokyo Tower you will find Shiba park. As you can imagine this is the best park in Tokyo to visit if you want to take top notch pictures of the Tokyo Tower. It’s interesting to note that Shiba park also belonged to the first group of public parks in Tokyo.

The park itself isn’t really suitable for escaping the city life, but instead it’s filled with religious attractions. The park is build around the Buddhist Zōjō-ji temple. Five shoguns were buried within the mausoleum of the temple signifying its religious importance to the locals. The temple is protected by the Sangedatsumon gate and walking through this gate is said to free your mind from the earthly vices of greed, hate and foolishness.

The park has multiple shinto altars with the ever so recognizable Japanese architecture. Easier to miss is the typically Japanese ancient key shaped burial mound from the fifth century, which is a large mound serving as a tomb of mysterious origins with trees growing on top of it. As it blends into the environment most tourists will miss this historical artifact.

Hamarikyu Gardens

Next to the Sumida River, in the bay of Tokyo, you will find the public garden park called Hamarikyu Gardens. This serene garden has a very distinct style of Japanese landscaping, as the park stands out for it’s excellent use of water, as the park is surrounded by water from the bay. Within the park itself you will find Shioiri Pond, which you can cross over using a wooden bridge for a stunning view over the water.

If you follow the path around the pond you will come across seasonal trees and flowers, such as plum trees and cherry blossoms. This delightful green path makes Hamarikyu Gardens one of the best gardens in Tokyo to stretch your legs in. And if you keep going you will come across several picnic sites which are often enjoyed by the locals. As you stroll across the park you might notice some Tokyo highrise, which stands in stark contrast with the sereness of the park, offering some excellent photo moments.

The Japanese know how to live the good life. At the center of the pond you will find a traditional Japanese teahouse where you can relax and enjoy some traditional green tea with a beautiful view. This tea house can be reached by crossing one of the three bridges towards it.

The Hamarikyu Gardens originally functioned as a hunting grounds of the Shogun Tokugawa family, but in 1654 the park was enclosed with water and in 1707 the Tokugawa gave the park it’s current purpose. Including the teahouse we can still enjoy today. This park is now designated as one of the special historical sites of Japan for its scenic beauty and historical relevance.