Shinjuku Gyoen Tokyo, Japan -

A wonderful peaceful place in the middle of the most crowded city.It was a well deserved break from all the crowds. The energy here is amazing and every single place you go to look around, looks as if it is straight out of a postcard. Tourist or not, this place is inspiring, relaxing and enjoyable for everyone.

Shinjuku Gyoen Park is a large, 144 acre (58.7 hectare) park in Tokyo’s Shinjuku ward. It has urban island of Japan’s seasonal beauty. Shinjuku Gyoen has gardens, picturesque pond, and hundreds of cherry trees (sakura) which make Shinjuku Gyoen one of Tokyo’s most popular cherry blossom viewing venues in their spring season particularly early April.

Shinjuku Gyoen is home to more than 20,000 trees from all over the world. Our kids were fascinated to see these amazing trees, plants and shrubs. There are about 1500 cherry blossoms, which come to their bloom in early April. Shinjuku Gyoen includes a French formal garden, an English landscape garden, a Japanese traditional garden, a “Mother and Child Forest”, a maple hill, an azalea hill, several ponds, and a Taiwan Pavilion.

Shinjuku Gyoen’s great open spaces, forested areas, and lovely groves of cherry and plum trees make it the ideal retreat for individuals, couples and families who want a taste of nature without having to leave Tokyo.

Don’t forget to walk through the greenhouse which houses many exotic plants and flowers. What a wonderful, beautiful, and happy place. People were having picnics and little kids were running around having fun. We felt happy and relaxed just walking around in the park and mixing with the locals. You don’t have to read the language to enjoy the attention displayed to detail in this beautiful place. We enjoyed every minute, every step and every sitting area. Kids loved playing with the local Japanese kids. They could barely communicate to each other due to language barrier yet they had fun and somehow communicated and understood each other. Many big trees and the terrain are up and down which add some character and good spot for picture.

Shinjuku Gyoen is also nice to visit during autumnwhen the leaves change color. There are a lot of different types of trees that change colors around the park, however the maple trees are particularly beautiful and can be seen in large numbers. The colors typically appear from mid November to mid December.

Shinjuku Gyoen has three gates. Shinjuku Gate is a ten minute walk east from the Shinjuku Station. Okido Gate is also a five minute walk from Shinjuku gyoen mae Station on the Marunouchi Subway Line. Finally, Sendagaya Gate is a five minute walk from JR Sendagaya Station on the local Chuo/Sobu Line.