Rikugien Garden - The Highlights Of Tokyo's Most Celebrated Garden

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Rikugien is a Japanese garden located in Bunkyo ward, Tokyo. It's known for its beautiful weeping cherry blossom trees and autumn leaves. In this article, we introduce how to get there and what you shouldn't miss.

Written by

Mayu

Previous experience as an editor at a women's media company in Japan. I lived in Australia for a while and joined MATCHA after returning to Japan. In charge of editing, promoting sponsored content, and creative direction. I love watching Western TV series.

Rikugien Garden - One of the Most Beautiful Gardens in Tokyo!

©Tokyo Convention & Visitors Bureau

Rikugien Garden is a Japanese garden located in the Bunkyo ward of Tokyo. While it is beautiful to visit at any time of the year, we especially recommend visiting Rikugien in the autumn, when the leaves of the trees change color. The garden is illuminated in the evening, resulting in a dreamlike sight!

History of Rikugien Garden

The garden was created by Yanagisawa Yoshiyasu, an official of the shogunate during the Edo Period.

Highly trusted by the 5th shogun Tokugawa Tsunayoshi, Yoshiyasu was granted the grounds in 1695. Yoshiyasu loved waka, or Japanese poems, and decided to use the land to create a beautiful garden like those described in these poems. Yoshiyasu is said to have designed the garden himself.

By 1702, an elegant garden with a man-made hill, a lake, and a river was completed. The shogun Tsunayoshi is said to have taken a great liking to the garden, and to have visited 58 times during his life.

Landscaping Technique: Kaiyu-shiki Tsukiyama Sensui Teien

©Tokyo Convention & Visitors Bureau

Rikugien Garden was established with a landscaping technique called Kaiyu-shiki Tsukiyama Sensui Teien. Gardens of this style consist of a large lake (sensui) and an artificial hill (tsukiyama). The style allows visitors to stroll the garden while enjoying their surroundings.

Basic Information

Rikugien Garden is open from 9:00-17:00. The final admission time is at 16:30.

The admission fee is 300 yen. Visitors age 65 and above can enter for 150 yen, and elementary school children and younger are admitted free. The garden is closed annually for four days from December 29th to January 1st.

Access

The nearest station to Rikugien Garden is Komagome Station of the JR Yamanote Line or the Tokyo Metro Namboku Line.

From Tokyo Station, you should get on the JR Yamanote Line toward Ueno and Ikebukuro and alight at Komagome. The ride is 17 minutes and costs 170 yen. It's a 7-minute walk from the station to Rikugien Garden.

What to See at Rikugien Garden

Fukiagenochaya

If you want to relax with some tea while enjoying a lake view, head to Fukiagenochaya. Here you can enjoy matcha and high-quality confections for 510 yen (including tax). The facility also offers Rikugien original merchandise.

Togetsukyo Bridge

©Tokyo Convention & Visitors Bureau

Togetsukyo is a bridge created from two large rocks, connecting to a man-made island in the middle of the lake.

Seasonal Events

Late March: Weeping Cherry Blossom Illuminations

©Tokyo Convention & Visitors Bureau

After entering from the main gate of the garden, visitors will find the garden's symbolic weeping cherry. Weeping cherry blossoms bloom earlier than regular sakura, and will reach full bloom around the end of March. During the full-bloom period, the weeping cherry is lit up after dark.

Late November to Early December: Autumn Leaves Illuminations

Rikugien Garden is also known as a great spot for viewing autumn leaves. During the best season from late November to early December, the leaves are lit up after dark, and visitors can enjoy a very refined atmosphere.

What to See Near Rikugien

From Rikugien Garden's nearest station, Komagome, you can easily reach Ueno and Nippori.

Ueno is five stations away on the JR Yamanote Line toward Ueno and Tokyo. The ride takes 10 minutes and costs 160 yen. Ueno boasts tourist attractions like Ueno Park and Ame-yoko.

Nippori is three stations away on the JR Yamanote Line toward Ueno and Tokyo. The ride is 6 minutes long and costs 140 yen. In Nippori you can visit the beautiful area around the Yanaka Cemetary and a textile district.

Rikugien Garden

113-0021 6-16-3 Honkomagome, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo

Rikugien Garden is one of the most famous Japanese gardens. This garden was built in 1702 and covers a vast area of approximately 8.9 hectares. Rikugien is known as a strolling garden with a rocky mountain spring, and its beauty and perfection was such that even the Edo period shogun, Tokugawa Tsunayoshi, visited it many times.

*Transportation times and fares are based on information from official websites. Information is as of June 2017. Information is subject to change.

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Written by

Mayu

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