Explore a visit to the historic Rikugien Gardens during its popular autumn foliage nighttime light-up event. Brilliant red and gold maples of the Edo-period landscape garden are beautifully illuminated after dark, offering visitors a peaceful, poetic, and classic Tokyo seasonal experience.
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Looking for a garden for tourists in Tokyo? Rikugien is very popular as are others like Hamarikyu Gardens. Its a quite old garden built around 1700. The Japanese characters 六義園 in a word to word literal translation means “six poems garden”. The garden attracts huge crowds in autumn and spring season when the garden has a beautiful lightup at night. Autumn of Tokyo, usually in the last week of November when the leaves change color.
The garden has beautiful landscaping and the Japanese theme in the garden is really beautiful with the large central pond surrounded by hills and forested areas constructed for overall ambience. My recommendation is to enjoy the scenery along with sipping some Japanese tea in the tea houses like Fukiage Chaya in the vicinity. At 510 yen (3 dollars), very reasonable.
The garden brings out its colors in the last two weeks of November, with the numerous maples trees turn the garden into one of Tokyo’s best color viewing spots in the city. The views reflects beautifully off the water, creating a magical atmosphere. The park stays open until 9pm for the duration of the event, that includes the teahouses in the garden.
The pond has beautiful orange Koi fish trying to catch your attention to get something to eat. Plentiful of them around int he pond add to the overall Japanese feel of the garden. Thought to introduce the fish, so that you don’t miss them in the rush to see the autumn leaves. Also be ready to tolerate the crowds who throng the garden and suggestion is that you visit on a weekday if possible that too late in the night at 20:00 or so.
Enjoy the various trees with the autumn colors in the garden,but wait for the sun to set and the light up to begin.
As the sun sets, the lights are turned on and the garden turns into a rather romantic location. Beautiful pond with the surface reflecting the trees. The crowds swell and not much time you get to spend at one location. The ticket line on weekend will be around 45 minutes to an hour before yogurt to enter the garden.
Enjoying the reflections of the Rokugien Gardens until 21:00 in the night of the autumn. The gardens with the huge weeping Sakura Tree is also a big awesome attraction in Cherry Blossoms season.
Location of park : Rikugien Park on Google Maps
Location of park : Rikugien Park on Google Maps
To reach Rikugien Gardens Click to open side panel for more information , the most convenient way is to take the train to Komagome Station via either the JR Yamanote Line or the Tokyo Metro Namboku Line. After exiting the station, it is only about a 7-minute walk south along Hongo-dori Avenue to reach the main gate. Alternatively, if you are traveling on the Toei Mita Line, you can get off at Sengoku Station and walk approximately 10 minutes northeast to get to the gardens.
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