The city’s oasis “Shinjuku Gyoen (新宿御苑)” is a popular spot for many foreign tourists as well as local Japanese people who come to seek healing.
Shinjuku Gyoen was completed in 1906, originally it built as a garden for the Imperial family. Later the gardens were opened to the public as a National Park, becoming “Shinjuku Imperial Gardens. During the cherry blossom seasons, you can enjoy 1500 cherry trees with around about 50 different species of cherry trees blossoming,like the Prunus yedoensis, Kanzakura, Higanzakura, etc.
With a total area of 58.3 ha, there are three distinct styles of garden, varying from French, English and Japanese styles.
Scenery of Shinjuku Gyoen
There are several cafes and restaurants in Shinjuku Gyoen as follows.
Central Rest House Cafe “SASAYAIORI+Shinjuku Gyoen”: A takeout cafe specializing in innovative Japanese sweets and other items, mainly curated by “Sasaya Iori,” a long-established Kyoto confectionery shop founded over 300 years ago.
Restaurant “Tsuburano” Shinjuku Gyoen: The Tokyo debut of “Tsuburano,” located at the foot of the five-story pagoda near Kyoto’s Higashiyama Kiyomizu-dera temple.
Cafe “Shinjuku Gyoen Anon (Tea room: Shoteitei)”: A cafe curated by “Kyoto Gion Anon,” which has its main store in Kyoto Gion and offers “anko” sweets as its main attraction.
Information Center Cafe “NATIONAL PARKS CAFE Under the Tree”
Tea Room (Rakuhutei)
Matcha (Green Tea) experience in the tea room. The tea room is located inside a plum-grove section of the Japanese garden, where you can enjoy the Japanese green tea and sweets in a calm and serene atmosphere.
※ Currently, the tea room is available for rental to groups for tea ceremonies and haiku gatherings.
For experience report of Tea Room, please visit here ☞ Shinjuku Gyoen Tea Room Experience report
Large Greenhouse
A large greenhouse near the Okido gate where about 500 kinds of southern country plants including papaya and banana are cultivated within an area of approximately 2,750㎡ and can range in heights of up to 15m.
The entrance fee of this garden costs 200 yen, which also includes the entrance fee to the large green house. So do no miss out when you visit the Gyoen.
It is a sightseeing spot of Shinjuku where you can get close to nature and take long hikes while still being in the centre of the city.
Please take your time and enjoy these walks on a nice sunny day!
Information
Address | 11 Naito-machi, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo |
TEL | 03-3350-0151 |
Opening Hour | 9:00-16:00 (Gate close at 16:30) *Opening hours depend on the season |
Closed | Monday (If Monday is a public holiday, then closed the following day. Closed the day(weekday) after in case of consecutive holidays.) New Years Holiday (12/29 – 1/3) |
Admission Fee | • Adults 500 yen (Group discount 400 yen) *Group discount applies to a party of 30 persons or more. No reservations are necessary. • Seniors (65 and over) 250 yen *Valid ID required. Please Purchase a ticket at a staffed counter. • Students 250 yen *Valid Student ID required. Please Purchase a ticket at a staffed counter. • Children (junior high school students /15 and under) FREE • Coin lockers are available around Shinjuku Gate, Okido Gate and Sendagaya Gate. (Small/Medium 300 yen Large 500 yen) |
Access | JR・Keio・Odakyu Lines Shinjuku Station “South Exit” walk 10min. Marunouchi Line Shinjuku gyoen mae Station “Exit 1” walk 5min. Toei Shinjuku Line Shinjuku 3 chome Station “C1 & C5 Exit” walk 5min. |
NOTE: Facilities information such as price, opening hours, closing time or additional details may be subject to change, so please be sure to check the latest information directly at the official site.