![\"Photo](\"https:\/\/thetokyotourist.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/Best-Parks-Tokyo-Large.jpg\")
Tokyo has endless wonders, but as a\nnature lover, you of course gravitate towards its parks. The problem is,\nthere\u2019s just so many of them! You wish you could spend months in Tokyo\nexploring every park and nature attraction, but sadly, you just don\u2019t have the\ntime. What you can <\/em>do is condense your park visits down. Which 12 parks\nare best to spend time in?<\/p>\n\n\n\n The 12 best parks in Tokyo are:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n If you haven\u2019t heard of some of these\ndestinations before, don\u2019t fret. I\u2019ll expand on each park on the above list,\ntelling you where they\u2019re located, activities and features, and other pertinent\ninformation. Then you can plan your perfect Tokyo park itinerary. <\/p>\n\n\n\n In no particular order, here\u2019s our list\nof the 12 best parks to explore and enjoy in Tokyo. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Also known as Showa Kinen Koen, Showa\nMemorial Park is Tokyo\u2019s biggest. It boasts more than 404 acres of space, so\nyou can definitely spend an afternoon here (maybe even more than one). <\/p>\n\n\n\n This Tachikawa City landmark isn\u2019t quite\nnear Tokyo, as the city\u2019s on the outskirts, but it\u2019s still worth planning a\ntrip to. Showa Memorial Park first debuted in 1983 to honor the Golden Jubilee,\nan event celebrating the 50th<\/sup> anniversary of the emperor of Japan.\nTo continue your history lesson, make sure you check out the adjoining museum\nto learn more about the Showa emperor while you\u2019re here. <\/p>\n\n\n\n What else can you see at Showa Memorial\nPark? The flowers will change with the seasons, so plan to arrive in the spring\nto spot the cherry blossoms. The Bonsai museum will also give you your floral\nfill. With promenades, countless gardens, ponds, fields of endless flowers, and\nlawns, you\u2019ll love how you\u2019re so surrounded by nature. <\/p>\n\n\n\n If you need a break, be sure to check\nout the shops, restaurants, caf\u00e9s, bicycle rental facilities, swimming pools,\nand playgrounds onsite. Hey, with more than 400 acres, the space has to get filled\nsomehow. <\/p>\n\n\n\n This time of year, in the summer, Showa\nMemorial Park will have lots of sunflowers and hydrangeas. In the fall, the\nmaple and ginkgo trees will get their chance to shine. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Do you want a Tokyo park with history\ndating back more than 30 years? Then you\u2019ll love Kiyosumi Garden. This stroll\ngarden has stood since 1878, or Japan\u2019s Meiji Period. Iwasaki Yataro designed\nand built the park. <\/p>\n\n\n\n You\u2019ll have to venture out to Fukagawa\nto see the Kiyosumi Garden, but you certainly won\u2019t regret it. Besides, you can\neasily get to Fukagawa via the Kiyosumi-Shirakawa Station. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Let\u2019s talk more about the illustrious\nhistory of the Kiyosumi Garden. When Yataro first built it, he intended it as a\nspace for his employees to use, no one else. It was only in 1932 that the\npublic got to enjoy this beauteous space. By that time, it had undergone some\nrenovations, having survived the 1923 earthquake of Japan.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Lots of stepping stone pathways or iso-watari<\/em>\nabound, letting you cross the pond (with shallow water, but still, don\u2019t fall\nin!) with ease. There\u2019s also bridges that let you get to any of the three\nislands that adjoin the pond. Do look into the water as you cross, as you\u2019ll\nsometimes spot waterfowls, turtles, and carp. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The Kiyosumi Garden is surrounded by\ntrees, more than 4,000 as of this writing. These include many a species, such\nas the Prunus campanulata <\/em>or Taiwan cherry, Iris ensata<\/em>, Hydrangea\nmacrophylla<\/em>, purple azaleas, and the Pinus thunbergii <\/em>or Japanese\nBlack pine. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Don\u2019t miss the large stone in which\nMatsuo Basho carved a haiku, as it\u2019s a must-see! <\/p>\n\n\n\n If you\u2019re already in the western part of\nTokyo for the day, then seek out Inokashira Park, specifically found around\nMitaka and Kichijoji. You should aim to visit in the spring, since there\u2019s\npretty much no better park in Japan for witnessing the beauty of the cherry\nblossoms than right here. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The surrounding Kichijoji area has\nbecome quite beloved as well, especially among hipsters. More boutique shops\nand unique restaurants and caf\u00e9s have begun sprouting up, with their proximity\nto the park the icing on the cake. There are roughly 500 cherry blossom trees\nscattered about the park, most surrounding a magnificent pond. If you do get\nhere for cherry blossom season, then get to the park as early in the day as you\ncan, as spots fill up fast!<\/p>\n\n\n\n Even if you miss the cherry blossoms,\nthere\u2019s no reason to skip Inokashira Park. There\u2019s still plenty more to do\nhere, such as visit the Studio Ghibli Museum. Head to the park\u2019s southwest area\nto find the museum. <\/p>\n\n\n\n You will also spot monuments honoring\nJapan\u2019s history on the grounds of the park as well as a zoo. You can even go\npaddle-boating when the weather warms up, riding in swan boats while cherry\nblossoms surround you on either side. If that doesn\u2019t sound incredibly\nromantic, then I don\u2019t know what does. <\/p>\n\n\n\n If you get off at Meguro Station, you\u2019re\nonly a short trip away to the Institute for Nature Study National Preserve.\nAlthough the name might not imply it, this is indeed a park. It\u2019s run through\nthe National Museum of Nature and Science (the Ministry of Education owns the\ngrounds). <\/p>\n\n\n\n With that, you\u2019ll see a park that\u2019s\nperfectly preserved. Here, you can take in wetlands, rivers, ponds, and forests\nin copious amounts. Birds and insects live happily here while various species\nof plants and trees grow. Some trees and ponds date back to the Edo Period,\nwhere Matsudaira Yorishige, a daimyo, used to have a mansion. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Since it\u2019s not quite a traditional park\nlike the other ones we\u2019ve listed thus far, you can only visit the Institute for\nNature Study National Preserve at certain times. It\u2019s open from September 1st<\/sup>\nthrough April 30th<\/sup> on any given year and then again on May 1st<\/sup>\nthrough August 31st<\/sup>. In the winter and on holidays, you can\u2019t get\nin. Also, the park has hours, 9 a.m. to 4 or 5 p.m. depending on the time of\nyear. <\/p>\n\n\n\n You also can\u2019t enter the park for free,\nagain unlike the other parks we\u2019ve discussed thus far. College students and\nadults need to pay 310 yen to get in, or about $3 USD. If you\u2019re under 18 or\nover 65, you can go to this park for free, but you do need some form of ID to\nprove your age. Also, the park does have free days for visitors of any age. <\/p>\n\n\n\n If you miss the beaches back home, then\nmake it a point to stop by Odaiba Seaside Park. Also called Odaiba Kaihin Koen,\nthis Odaiba Island staple is part park, part beach, all awesome. You\u2019ll get to\nsee great sights, such as Tokyo\u2019s metropolis as well as the Rainbow Bridge and\nTokyo Bay.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Kick off your shoes, catch some rays,\nand stay a while. There\u2019s a running course and spots for engaging in maritime\nsports like fishing if you\u2019re so inclined. You can ride bikes along the\nboardwalk or just hunker down in the sand with the sea breeze whipping in your\nhair. That sounds like a pretty great way to spend your day if you ask me!<\/p>\n\n\n\n When you\u2019re done at Odaiba Seaside Park,\nthe fun doesn\u2019t have to end. This part of Tokyo has countless activities and\nentertainment. If you\u2019re in the mood to shop, you can explore 190 stores (as\nwell as restaurants and caf\u00e9s) at Venus Fort. This shopping malls has three floors\nin all. The MORI Building Digital Art Museum will give you a dose of culture\nwhile the Toyota Mega Web lets you try the hottest Toyotas coming down the\npike, taking them for a test drive.<\/p>\n\n\n\n You can also check out the National\nMuseum of Emerging Science and Innovation, visit the amusement park Tokyo\nJOYPOLIS, go to Madam Tussauds Tokyo, or play at LEGOLAND Discovery Center\nTokyo. Try to check out the Rainbow Bridge and surrounding architecture at\nnight if you get a chance as well! <\/p>\n\n\n\n Also near Meguro is the Komazawa Olympic\nPark. You can get there from Shibuya and Setagaya as well. This spot earned\nsuch a name because it was intended for use during the Olympics. That never did\nhappen because of the events of World War II. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Due to its design, you certainly won\u2019t\nfind another park like this on your travels. For instance, there\u2019s facilities\nfor cycling, jogging, tennis, swimming, baseball, and soccer in the Komazawa\nGymnasium, which is on the grounds. You could fit close to 3,900 people in here\nto watch events. It has indeed been used for wrestling before. The Control\nTower, which you can\u2019t miss, is part of the gymnasium as well.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This park doesn\u2019t sit empty most of the\nyear; far from it. The Tokyo Ramen Show takes place here every year, as do many\nfestivals and events. You can get some great exercise at the Komazawa Olympic\nPark and then enjoy some quality entertainment when you\u2019re done. You\u2019ll surely\nhave lots of fun here. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Spend a day plentifully drinking in\nJapan\u2019s rich history at Tokyo Imperial Palace. Found in Tokyo\u2019s Chiyoda ward, the\nImperial Family still lives here in the Kyuden<\/em>,or main palace.\nWhile you likely won\u2019t seem them, there\u2019s plenty of grounds to cover, so don\u2019t\nworry.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Speaking of that main palace, it was\nonce Edo Castle. The building is surrounded by 0.44 square miles of gardens you\ncan visit. Cherry blossoms grow beautifully here, so this area gets crowded in\nthe spring. Even in the fall, expect lots of gatherers to come by and admire\nthe growing ginkgo trees. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The Imperial Palace East Gardens, the\npublic part of the park, isn\u2019t too far from several other cool landmarks.\nKitanomaru Park, towards the north side of the garden, features Nippon Budokan\nHall. You can also see a dedication to Prince Kitashirakawa Yoshihisa via a\nbronze statue. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The Suwa-no-Chaya teahouse has been\naround since 1912, even though it\u2019s moved several times in the decades since.\nNinomaru Garden has trees for each of Japan\u2019s prefectures, all 260 of them.\nAbout 30 species of trees grow here. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Then there\u2019s Tokagakudo, or the Peach\nBlossom Music Hall. This hall, dedicated to Empress Kojun when she turned 60\nyears old, spreads 13,500 square feet. <\/p>\n\n\n\n This park is not in Tokyo city but in Tokyo prefecture. If you want to see some mountains, the Chichibu-Tama-Kai National Park surrounds Mount Mitake or Mitakesan. <\/em>This space is heavy in acreage and, besides the mountain range, features gorges and hills. You can also see prefectures such as Nagano, Saitama, and Yamanashi here. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Become one with nature as you hike\nuntouched paths. Worship at the Musashi-Mitake Shrine on the grounds of the\npark and mountain. If you keep hiking, you\u2019ll see even taller valleys and peaks\nthat will make your heart race and your jaw drop. The Rock Garden is located\naround here. Despite its name, it\u2019s a valley ensconced in forest that has\nwaterfalls (two of them), stones green with moss, and a pretty stream. <\/p>\n\n\n\n You\u2019re not too far from the top now, so\nyou might as well continue the hour or so up. Once you get to the peak, you may\nnever want to come down. The only downside of this park is it is a little out\nof the way. From Tokyo, you have to venture out about two hours to get there. <\/p>\n\n\n\n By spending your afternoon at Shiba\nPark, you get a two-for-one. Not only do you get to check out the park, but\nZozoji Temple as well. You can also easily get to Tokyo Tower from here, giving\nyou even more of a reason to add Shiba Park to your itinerary ASAP. <\/p>\n\n\n\n A famous spot for filming movies and TV\nshows based in Japan, Shiba Park rightfully attracts a lot of attention. As you\nstart exploring the footpaths, you\u2019ll often find they lead you towards Tokyo\nTower. You might also spot the Central Labor Relations Commission on your\nadventures. Another landmark worth noting is the huge ginkgo tree. You\u2019ll\ncertainly see it if you\u2019re anywhere near it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Iemitsu Tokugawa planted this tree near\nthe Shiba Tosho-gu shrine. It\u2019s since become such a prominent landmark that\nit\u2019s now an official Natural Monument. Speaking of trees, the US\u2019s very own\nPresident, Ulysses S. Grant, once visited Shiba Park to plant his own tree. You\ncan still find it on the grounds to this very day. <\/p>\n\n\n\n You truly cannot get better views of\nTokyo Tower than the ones afforded to you at Shiba Park. Take your time, walk\nsome paths, and enjoy the one-of-a-kind glimpses into one of the best-known\ntowers in all of Tokyo. <\/p>\n\n\n\n In Aoyama, there\u2019s the Meiji Jingu\nGaien, another park I recommend you slot some time in for. If you\u2019re in\nShinjuku, Harajuku, or Shibuya, it\u2019s not too challenging to get to Aoyama. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Each November, the park comes alive as\nit hosts the Ginkgo Festival. This lasts through December. The park also houses\nthe Jingu Stadium where you can see the Tokyo Yakult Swallows play baseball. If\nyou want to talk history, before the Jingu Stadium, there was the Meiji Jingu\nGaien Stadium. This dates back to at least the 1930s, as the Far Eastern\nChampionship Games took place here that year. These Tokyo games featured\ncompetitors playing several sports to see who came out on top.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In 1956, when officials decided to make\nthe Tokyo Olympic Stadium, the Meiji Jingu Gaien Stadium got taken down. At\nleast there\u2019s still the Jingu Stadium today. <\/p>\n\n\n\n No list on the best parks in Tokyo would\nbe complete without mentioning Ueno Park. I should caution you that this place\nis almost always crowded with tourists. That\u2019s because they want to see such\nfamed spots as the park\u2019s temple, shrine, museum, and the Ueno Zoo. <\/p>\n\n\n\n It gets even busier in the spring,\nespecially when the cherry blossom festival Sakura Matsuri takes place. To get\naway from all the hustle and bustle, you can pop into the Starbucks Ueno Onshi\nPark Store for a drink, spend a few hours at the National Museum of Western Art\nor the National Science Museum, or relax by Shinobazu Pond. <\/p>\n\n\n\n There\u2019s also Toshogu Shrine, the Tokyo\nNational Museum, the Kiyomizu Kannon Temple, and the Kaneiji Temple on the\ngrounds. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Last but certainly not least, there\u2019s\nYoyogi Park. Close to Shinjuku and Harajuku, this oversized park attracts many\nnature lovers. They like to spend afternoons picnicking and taking in the\namazing sights and sounds here. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Once the weekend arrives, Yoyogi Park\nbecomes the home to flea markets, food events, and festivals held throughout\nthe year. In July 2019, the park will have the Ocean Peoples beach flea market,\nSongkran Festival, and Taiwan Festa. This features sim sums, noodles, pineapple\ncake, bubble tea, and lots of other delectable treats straight from Taiwan.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If you\u2019re passing by Yoyogi Park this\nAugust, make sure you check out the Sri Lanka Festival, Thai Fair, and Harajuku\nOmotesando Super Yosakoi Festival throughout the month. <\/p>\n\n\n\n There you have it! The 12 parks I talked\nabout today are all accessible from where you\u2019re staying in Tokyo. Although\nsome require longer trips than others, each has its own beauty, history, and\nacclaim. Try to make some time for them all if you can! <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Tokyo has endless wonders, but as a nature lover, you of course gravitate towards its parks. The problem is, there\u2019s just so many of them! You wish you could spend<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2134,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[9],"tags":[],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/thetokyotourist.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2130"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/thetokyotourist.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/thetokyotourist.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thetokyotourist.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thetokyotourist.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2130"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/thetokyotourist.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2130\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2340,"href":"https:\/\/thetokyotourist.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2130\/revisions\/2340"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thetokyotourist.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2134"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/thetokyotourist.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2130"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thetokyotourist.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2130"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thetokyotourist.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2130"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}The 12 Best Parks in Tokyo<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
1. Showa Memorial Park <\/h3>\n\n\n\n
![\"Pond](\"https:\/\/thetokyotourist.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/Showa-Memorial-Park-1-1024x640.jpg\")
2. Kiyosumi Garden <\/h3>\n\n\n\n
![\"Person](\"https:\/\/thetokyotourist.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/Kiyosumi-Garden-1024x682.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\n3. Inokashira Park<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
![\"A](\"https:\/\/thetokyotourist.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/Inokashira-Park-1024x683.jpg\")
<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n4. The Institute for Nature Study National Reserve <\/h3>\n\n\n\n
5. Odaiba Seaside Park <\/h3>\n\n\n\n
![\"A](\"https:\/\/thetokyotourist.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/Odaiba-Seaside-Park-1024x768.jpg\")
6. Komazawa Olympic Park <\/h3>\n\n\n\n
7. Tokyo Imperial Palace <\/h3>\n\n\n\n
![\"A](\"https:\/\/thetokyotourist.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/Tokyo-Imperial-Palace-1024x683.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\n8. Chichibu-Tama-Kai National Park<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
9. Shiba Park <\/h3>\n\n\n\n
![\"Temple](\"https:\/\/thetokyotourist.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/Shiba-Park-1-1024x768.jpg\")
10. Meiji Jingu Gaien<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
![\"A](\"https:\/\/thetokyotourist.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/Meiji-Jingu-Gaien-1024x683.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\n11. Ueno Park <\/h3>\n\n\n\n
![\"A](\"https:\/\/thetokyotourist.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/Ueno-Park-1024x768.jpg\")
12. Yoyogi Park <\/h3>\n\n\n\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/thetokyotourist.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/Yoyogi-Park-1024x683.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\nConclusion <\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n