Tokyo · Ueno and Yanaka
Rikugien Gardens
In 1695 Yanagisawa Yoshiyasu received a flat plot in Komagome for an estate from the fifth shogun, Tokugawa Tsunayoshi. He designed a strolling garden around a lake himself, dug a pond and raised hills, and the work took seven years. According to the garden's management, even then it was counted, together with Koishikawa Korakuen, as one of the two great gardens of Edo.
Yoshiyasu was a man of letters, and the whole garden is built around waka poetry: 88 scenic spots recreate the Waka-no-ura coast in Wakayama Prefecture and famous landscapes from classical poetry. The name 'Rikugi' also comes from the theory of poetry: the six forms of a poem. Around the large pond, with its island in the middle, there are teahouses, a stone bridge and earthen bridges, and a narrow forest path called the 'Spider Path'.
In the Meiji period the garden passed to Iwasaki Yataro, the founder of Mitsubishi. It was donated to the city of Tokyo in 1938, and in 1953 it was designated a Special Place of Scenic Beauty of Japan. The grounds cover about 8.8 hectares. Right after the inner gate stands a weeping cherry tree that blooms in late March, and in late November the maples around the Tsutsuji-chaya teahouse turn red.
Good to know
- The 'Autumn Leaves in the Garden' night illumination in 2026: 25 November to 6 December, 18:00 to 20:30, last entry 19:30. The garden closes at 17:00 and reopens at 18:00 only with a night ticket. This year there is also a projection on the wall of the storehouse from the Iwasaki era and in the bamboo grove.
- From May to November 2026 (as planned) the pond's banks are being repaired. The water level is lower than usual, and some paths near the works are closed.
- There is a free tour in English on the first and third Sunday of the month, at 11:00 and 14:00. There are no tours in July and August.
- At the Fukiage-chaya teahouse, by the pond, they serve matcha with a Japanese sweet. During the night illumination it is open too, and there are food stalls near the storehouse.
What is nearby
Approximate walking minutes from the entrance of Rikugien Gardens.
- HereRikugien Gardens
- ~6 min
Toyo Bunko Museum More to see
The museum of a large research library on Asia. Until 17 January 2027 it shows the exhibition 'What Is a World Map?', centered on a world map made in China in the early 17th century from a meeting of Western knowledge and the Chinese worldview, shown here for the first time after restoration. Over 65 ¥900.
- ~6 min
Orient Cafe Food
The restaurant in the Toyo Bunko courtyard, run by Koiwai Farm: at lunch a hamburger steak made from the farm's beef, steak, pasta or curry, and a special dish for the exhibition. You can book a table. On 24 October 2026 lunch is closed for a private event.
- ~9 min
Somei Yoshino Sakura Memorial Park More to see
A small garden near the north exit of Komagome Station, with a stone marking that the most common cherry variety in Japan, Somei Yoshino, was created here in the gardeners' village of Somei at the end of the Edo period. Mainly worth it in blossom season.
- ~18 min
Kyu-Furukawa Gardens More to see
An estate with a European-style house, a rose garden and a Japanese garden. ¥150, and the house costs extra. The autumn rose festival runs until 6 November 2026, and from 7 November to 6 December 'Roses and Autumn Leaves'. The combined ticket with Rikugien is ¥400.