SHINJUKU GYOEN

Description

Essentials about Shinjuku Gyoen in brief

Shinjuku Gyoen (Imperial Park Shinjuku) is undoubtedly one of the most beautiful parks in Tokyo. Located in the middle of a forest of high-rise buildings in the Shinjuku district, the 58-hectare green oasis is a popular excursion and recreation destination for Tokyo residents and tourists alike. Especially at the time of the cherry blossom, when the approximately 1,500 cherry trees in the park shine in the most beautiful colors, crowds of people come to the park to take photos and celebrate hanami parties.

The history of Shinjuku Gyoen

Until the 1870s, the present site of the park served as the former secondary residence of the Naitō clan. In 1879, the area was taken over by the Imperial Court Office, which opened it in 1906 under its present name in a restricted manner. In 1949, the garden, along with other imperial gardens, was opened to the general public as the “National Garden.” The close connection with the imperial family continues to this day: funeral ceremonies for both the Taishō Tenn and the Shōwa Tennō were held in the park.

The grounds of Shinjuku Gyoen

Shinjuku Gyoen is not only a popular recreational destination for Tokyoites themselves, but also a popular attraction among tourists. Besides its central location, the park’s diversity is the main reason for its popularity. Shinjuku Gyoen consists of parks of three main styles that blend harmoniously: A traditional Japanese garden on the southwest side with cherry trees, cypresses, and Himalayan cedars; an English landscape garden with large open spaces in the center; and a formal French garden with multiple rows of plane trees and flower borders at the eastern end. In addition, the park features several ponds, a maple mound, an azalea mound, and a Taiwanese pavilion. The large open spaces and beautiful trees, especially cherry, plum and maple trees, make Shinuku Gyoen undoubtedly one of the most scenic gardens in the Japanese capital.

From the teahouse in the Japanese garden, visitors look across several ponds spanned by small bridges to a magnificent “panorama of trees” that completely obscures the metropolitan skyscrapers behind, giving visitors the illusion of being in the midst of nature. The English Park, on the other hand, is dominated by the impressive silhouette of the Nishi-Shinjuku skyscrapers, which seem to be built right behind the trees.

Shinjuku Gyoen is particularly popular because of its approximately 1,500 cherry trees scattered throughout the park. Because of the different locations and the different types of trees, the cherry blossom, which is so popular in Japan, lasts especially long in Shinjuku Gyoen. At the height of the cherry blossom, hundreds of amateur photographers parade through the park and thousands of people crowd the park’s open spaces to celebrate hanami parties.

A walk through Shinjuku Gyoen is also highly recommended in late autumn. Then the leaves of the various tree species in the park shine in the most beautiful colors. Especially beautiful are the maple trees, which can be seen in large numbers in the Japanese garden and on Momijiyama (Maple Mountain).

Last but not least, the greenhouse is another special feature of Shinjuku Gyoen. It is one of the largest in East Asia and displays plants that are exotic for Japan.