Shinjuku Gyoen was the Emperor's private park until the end of WWII when the Americans encouraged Japan's royal family to relinquish a few of their expansive properties for the public good.



Shinjuku Gyoen's gardens are fit for an Emperor. They were designed in 1906 at the height of Emperor Meiji's power. The Meiji-era was a time of rapid industrialization and westernization in Japan. Japan recruited top experts from Europe and America in everything from art to engineering to military tactics.

The park features a French Formal garden, English Landscape garden and Japanese traditional tea house and garden.

Atmosphere

Shinjuku Gyoen has limited hours (9:00 until 16:30) and charges an entrance fee (200 yen). It's amazing how this affects the atmosphere in the park. Shinjuku Gyoen is decidedly quieter than wild Yoyogi park just a few hundred meters to the south-west.

It's a great place for families with kids and couples.







The park is a surreal calm next to the urban chaos of Shinjuku.

Seasons

Shinjuku Gyoen is a well managed park that features more than 20,000 trees. There's something blooming in the park every season of the year. The most popular seasons in the park are hanami (late March - end April), chrysanthemum season (early November) and autumn colors of late November and early December.



Shinjuku Gyoen is one of Tokyo's best hanami spots. It's the only time of year the park becomes truly crowded. The park has a variety of sakura including late blooming Kanzan Cherry trees that bloom at the end of April.

Greenhouse

** Closed until Fall 2012 ** The first greenhouses in the park were constructed in 1892 and housed many exotic specimens of plant from all over the world. The greenhouses have been remodeled several times over the years. Today, they feature 1,700 tropical and subtropical plants. The greenhouses are open to the public.

Visiting the Park

Shinjuku Gyoen is a large park 3.5 kilometers in circumference. The park has 3 gates and several nearby stations.

Hours:	9:00 to 16:30 (no entry after 16:00)
Closed Days:	Mondays. Except sakura season (usually entire month of April) and chrysanthemum season (first half of November). When Monday is a national holiday, the park is closed Tuesday.
Closed Periods:	December 29th to January 3rd
Admission:	200 yen

Shinjuku Gyoen is ranked #1 of 18 best hanami spots in Tokyo

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List of Parks in Tokyo The many excellent parks and gardens of Tokyo.

101 Things To Do In Tokyo » 19 Best Tokyo Neighborhoods For Kids » Tokyo Travel » Yoyogi: The Quiet Between the Tokyo Storm » Is Shinjuku's Kabukicho Safe? » Yoyogi Park: The Good, the Bad and the Ugly » Tokyo Weather » Map of Shinjuku: Understand Shinjuku in 90 Seconds »

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